Here’s every member of Congress who isn’t seeking re-election in 2024

Amid gridlock and dysfunction in Congress, many members announced their decisions to step down

If a presidential election year wasn’t enough in Washington DC, this year will also see a lot of new faces in Congress, as many members have decided to not seek re-election, with many citing frustration with the chambers’ productivity as their reason for stepping down.

Eight Senators and 44 Representatives have announced their intentions to step down from their current post in 2024, with some running for different elected positions and others leaving politics altogether. Some of those could still run for their current seats if they do not win primary elections.

The mass Congressional exodus includes several controversial seats, which could alter the control of each chamber and numerous Committee chairs.

Here is a list of every member of Congress who has announced that they won’t seek re-election in 2024:

Senators not seeking re-election

Thomas Carper

Sen Carper is a Democrat who has represented Delaware in the Senate for more than 20 years. He announced his retirement — saying it was a decision he made after “a good deal of prayer and introspection, and more than a few heart-to-heart conversations”.

Ben Cardin

The Maryland Democrat announced that he would retire from the Senate after his term is up. He has served in the post since 2007 and currently chairs the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Debbie Stabenow

After serving as Michigan Senator since 2001, the Democrat opted not to run for re-election in 2024, leaving a crucial seat for Democrats in the swing state. “Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the US Senate,” Sen Stabenow wrote.

Laphonza Butler

The California Senator was appointed by Gov Gavin Newsom to fill the seat left vacant by Dianne Feinstein. Sen Butler is currently the only Black woman in the US Senate and is the first openly LGBT+ member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Joe Manchin

The moderate West Virginia Democrat said he wouldn’t be running for re-election, leaving vacant a contentious seat. Despite his in-party disagreements, including those with President Joe Biden, he is a rare Democrat in a deep-red state.

Mitt Romney

The Utah Republican, an outspoken Trump critic and former presidential candidate, announced he wouldn’t run again in 2024.

Mike Braun

The Indiana Republican announced in 2022 that he would be running for governor of his home state after serving one term in the Senate and a stint in the House.

Kyrsten Sinema

The former Democrat-turned-independent Senator announced in early March that she would not be seeking re-election in 2024. Her move means she would be dodging an already hotly anticipated three-way race for the Arizona Senate seat.

House Representatives not seeking re-election

Tony Cardenas

The California Democrat, who represents the state’s 29th district, announced his exit from Congress last November. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Anna Eshoo

The 81-year-old California Democrat announced her retirement after serving in the seat for three decades. She’s also a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Grace Napolitano

The Democrat of California serves on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. After 13 terms in Congress, she announced she would not seek re-election.

John Sarbanes

The Maryland Democrat has represented the state’s third district since 2007. He also is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Dan Kildee

Rep Kildee, a Michigan Democrat, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and announced his retirement, citing his cancer diagnosis causing him to “reassess [his] own future and path.”

Earl Blumenauer

After 27 years in Congress, the Oregon Democrat announced his retirement. During his tenure, he co-founded the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and has been an advocate for renewable energy.

Jennifer Wexton

Rep Wexton, a Democrat of Virginia, announced her retirement, citing Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy, which she called “Parkinson’s on steroids.” She flipped her district blue in 2018, potentially leaving a vulnerable seat open in 2024.

Derek Kilmer

After more than a decade in the House, the Washington Democrat said he was stepping down from Congress to spend more time with family.

Andy Kim

The New Jersey Democrat is leaving his post in the House to try and replace embattled Sen Bob Menendez, who faces corruption charges. In February, Mr Kim defeated the state’s first lady in the state’s first Democratic convention this cycle; Mr Menendez didn’t participate in the convention. Mr Menendez has said he will not resign but has not said if he will run again.

Lisa Blunt Rochester

Ms Rochester is running for Tom Carper’s Senate seat. When the Delaware Democrat was elected to the House in 2017, she became the first woman and person of colour to represent her state in Congress.

David Trone

The Maryland Democrat will not be seeking re-election and instead launched a bid for Ben Cardin’s Senate seat.

Colin Allred

The former NFL player-turned-Congressman is vying for Texas Sen Ted Cruz’s seat, trying to flip the seat from red to blue. Mr Allred’s House district is solidly Democratic.

Elissa Slotkin

The Michigan Democrat announced she wouldn’t be seeking re-election, as she is running for the competitive seat currently held by retiring Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Barbara Lee

The California Congresswoman launched a bid for Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat in 2024. She serves as co-chair of the House Policy and Steering Committee.

Adam Schiff

Mr Schiff, a high-profile California Democrat and member of the House Judiciary Committee, is also seeking to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat.

Katie Porter

The progressive California Democrat is the third House member to run for Feinstein’s Senate seat. When announcing her bid, Ms Porter said, California “needs a warrior in Washington.”

Ruben Gallego

The Arizona Democrat is vying for Independent Sen Kyrsten Sinema’s Senate seat in a contentious three-party contest. The district he’s leaving is heavily Democratic.

Abigail Spanberger

Rep Spanberger launched a bid to become Virginia’s governor, shortly after Democrats took control of the state legislature, sending a message to Republican Gov Glenn Youngkin after he threatened a harsh abortion ban. The Virginia Democrat leaves open a very competitive seat.

Dean Phillips

The Minnesota Democrat is not seeking re-election for his House seat and instead has his eyes set on the White House. Although his seat was historically Republican-controlled, since Mr Phillips won the seat in 2018, it has leaned Democratic.

Jeff Jackson

Rep Jackson, a North Carolina Democrat, launched a bid for the state’s Attorney General rather than vying for re-election. His seat is likely to flip red, especially after his Congressional district was redrawn in 2023.

Kathy Manning

The North Carolina Democrat announced she wouldn’t be running for re-election in 2024, citing the likely uphill battle she’ll face after the state’s redrawing of the Congressional map: “I won’t file for re-election in the egregiously gerrymandered Congressional districts.”

Dutch Ruppersberger

After serving more than two decades in the House, the Maryland Democrat announced his retirement from public office, saying he wanted to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders. He previously served on the House Intelligence Committee for 12 years.

Wiley Nickel

The North Carolina Democrat said he would not seek re-election, also contributing his decision to the redrawn map in the state: “Republicans have rigged the system to favor themselves and I don’t have a path to run for re-election in the 13th district. But I’m not giving up and neither should you.” He hinted at a bid for the Senate.

Debbie Lesko

The Arizona Republican is occupying a deeply red district. She said she wanted to spend more time with her family and cited some frustration with DC, calling it “broken” and “hard to get anything done.”

Ken Buck

The conservative Republican of Colorado announced his decision to step down, citing disappointment within his own party: “Too many Republican leaders are lying to America.” In a controversial move, fellow Republican Rep Lauren Boebert is switching districts to try to fill his seat.

John Curtis

Rep Curtis, another Utah Republican, announced that he wouldn’t be seeking re-election for his House seat, as he would be vying for Mitt Romney’s Senate seat in 2024.

Kay Granger

The House Appropriations Chair and Texas Republican is retiring. When Rep Granger was elected in 1996, she became the first Republican woman to represent the state of Texas.

Michael Burgess

Mr Burgess, another Texas Republican, announced his retirement from Congress. The obstetrician-turned-representative sits in a firmly red district.

Brad Wenstrup

The Ohio Republican and chair of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is retiring after more than a decade in Congress. Rep Wenstrup, also a doctor, made headlines in 2017 when he rushed to aid his colleague Rep Steve Scalise, who had been shot during a GOP congressional baseball practice.

Jim Banks

The Indiana Republican launched a bid for the seat held by outgoing Sen Mike Braun. “We NEED conservatives in Washington who aren’t afraid to fight Biden’s radical agenda,” he said in his announcement.

Alex Mooney

The West Virginia Republican is leaving his House seat and vying for Joe Manchin’s Senate seat.

Kelly Armstrong

Republican Rep Armstrong, North Dakota’s lone House member, is leaving Congress to run for governor, trying to replace retiring Gov Doug Burgum in 2024. He serves as the Vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Dan Bishop

The North Carolina Republican and Freedom Caucus member announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the House and instead will run to become the state’s attorney general, a position currently held by a Democrat.

Patrick McHenry

The North Carolina Congressman and one-time temporary House speaker announced his decision to vacate his seat, which is widely considered to be safely Republican. “This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and—for me—this season has come to an end,” he said in a statement.

Drew Ferguson

The Georgia Congressman announced he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2024. He served on the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees.

Blaine Luetkemeyer

The longtime Missouri Republican announced his retirement. He has represented Missouri’s 3rd Congressional district since 2013, taking a previously Democrat-controlled seat, and prior to that, he represented the 9th district

Greg Pence

The brother of former vice president Mike Pence announced he was retiring from Congress after representing his home state of Indiana since 2018. His seat has long been Republican-controlled.

Jeff Duncan

The South Carolina Republican announced he would not seek re-election, after serving since 2010. He’s leaving a seat deemed to be safely Republican.

Mike Gallagher

The Wisconsin Republican announced he wouldn’t run for a fifth term just days after he bucked his party, voting against impeaching Homeland Security Sec Alejandro Mayorkas. Although he didn’t mention the vote contributing to his decision, he said: “Electoral politics was never supposed to be a career and, trust me, Congress is no place to grow old.”

Larry Bucshon

The Indiana Republican said he plans to retire from Congress, after representing his home state for seven terms. His departure marks yet another vacancy on the House Energy Committee.

Doug Lamborn

The Colorado Republican will retire at the end of his term. His exit means that every GOP-held House seat in his state will not have an incumbent running.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

The chair of the House Energy Committee is not seeking another term in Congress after representing Washington since 2005. Her seat has long been Republican-controlled.

Matt Rosendale

The Montana Republican dropped his re-election bid in early March, explaining in a statement that he had been forced to have law enforcement “visit my children because of a death threat against me and false and defamatory rumors.” Mr Rosendale had previously launched a bid for the Senate, before withdrawing that too, claiming he realised that “national support and resources necessary to win that seat were not going to be available to me.”

Jake LaTurner

In April, the Kansas Republican announced that he would not be seeking re-election in the fall in order to spend more time with his family.

House Representatives who left office before their term ended:

David Cicilline

The Rhode Island Democrat left Congress in June to serve as CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. Former White House aide Gabe Amo, another Democrat, took over his seat after a special election, becoming the state’s first Black member of Congress.

Brian Higgins

The New York Democrat stepped down in February 2024 after nearly two decades in Congress, currently serving on both the House Ways and Means and Budget committees. When announcing his decision, he said: “Congress is not the institution that I went to 19 years ago….We’re spending more time doing less. And the American people aren’t being served.”

Bill Johnson

The Ohio Republican left his post in Congress on 21 January to become the new president of Youngstown State University. A special election for his seat will be held on 19 March.

Chris Stewart

After representing Utah for six terms, the Republican announced he wouldn’t run for re-election after his wife became sick. He was replaced by Celeste Maloy in a special election, Mr Stewart’s former chief legal counsel, in November and she’ll vye for the seat again in a general election this November.

Kevin McCarthy

The once-embattled Speaker of the House and California Congressman resigned at the end of 2023, meaning his seat is up for grabs in the next election. The special election is set for 19 March, and if no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the primary vote, a next matchup will be held on 21 May.

George Santos

The New York Republican firebrand resigned from Congress at the end of 2023 after a high-profile series of scandals and lies. A special election saw Democrat Tom Suozzi flip the seat from red to blue.

Congress members who have walked back their resignations:

Victoria Spartz

The Indiana Republican reversed course after announcing plans to retire from Congress. She said the “current failed leadership” in Washington and pressure from “many of my constituents” compelled her to run again.

Pat Fallon

One day after announcing his retirement from the House in November 2023, the Texas Republican said he was running for re-election. He attributed his change of heart to wanting to spend more time with family.

Mark Green

Although the House Homeland Security Committee Chair had previously mentioned his plans to retire, he changed his mind, citing pressure from the former president. “While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider,” he told Axios in a statement.