Exodus in the House: Over 10% of Representatives — 47 Members — Won't Seek Re-Election, AP Finds

WASHINGTON (AP) — What began as a trickle of departures from the U.S. House has intensified into what many are calling an exodus: more than 10% of incumbents have announced they will not run for reelection, an Associated Press analysis shows.

As of Wednesday, 47 current representatives — 21 Democrats and 26 Republicans — have said they will leave the House after this term. That figure excludes nine members who resigned or died during the term; their seats are expected to be filled before the November general election.

Why So Many Are Leaving

Lawmakers are announcing departures earlier than in past cycles. In the first half of 2025, 15 representatives disclosed plans to leave the House, compared with a decade-long average of nine retirements in the first six months of a congressional term. Analysts and officials point to three primary factors driving the spike.

1. Other Offices Look More Attractive

An unusually large number of Senate seats and governorships are open or competitive this year. Eleven senators have said they will vacate their seats at the end of the term, and 36 states hold gubernatorial elections — 15 of those with term-limited incumbents. In all, 27 of the departing House members said they planned to run for another office: 14 for the Senate and 12 for governor (a few later dropped out).

2. An Aging Congress

Congress has steadily grown older, a trend driven by population aging and high reelection rates for incumbents. As of Jan. 1, the median age of voting members of the 119th Congress was just under 59; the median House member was 57 and the median senator nearly 65. Among those leaving after the 119th Congress, the median retiring senator is over 68 and the median retiring representative about 57. If limited to lawmakers not seeking other offices, medians rise further: retiring senators average over 70 and retiring representatives about 67.

3. Mid-Decade Redistricting Has Shaken Up Maps

Six states adopted new congressional maps since the last general election, part of an unusual wave of mid-decade redistricting. In some states, including California and Texas, incumbents were drawn into the same district as colleagues or into newly configured districts that make reelection more difficult. Only a small number have explicitly cited redistricting—two Texas representatives have done so—but finalized maps could prompt more incumbents to retire or face intra-party battles.

What This Means

The early and sizable number of retirements presents a historic opportunity for both parties: dozens of open seats can reshape the House map heading into the midterms. For Republican leaders and President Donald Trump, preserving a narrow House majority is a priority; historically the president’s party tends to lose seats in midterm elections, a dynamic that has encouraged departures in prior cycles as well.

Methodology

Current retirement and party data come from the U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery’s official casualty list and party breakdown. Historical retirement figures through the 113th Congress (2013–15) were compiled from archived versions of that Press Gallery page via the Internet Archive.

The Press Gallery distinguishes retirements from deaths and resignations. Lawmakers who died in office and most who resigned during their terms are excluded from retirement totals. Representatives who announced retirements but resigned before the term ended are classified as "resigned" and excluded from the retiring count. Announcement dates were collected manually from news reports and official press releases. Members who announced bids for other offices are recorded as running for those offices even if they later withdrew.

Associated Press writer Leah Askarinam in Washington contributed to this report.