More Republicans are weighing new career options as chaos devours GOP power

With Democrats having enjoyed a series of double-digit victories in recent elections and President Donald Trump dogged by weak approval ratings, a long list of GOP lawmakers won't be seeking reelection in the 2026 midterms. Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) left Congress altogether in early January, and Republicans ranging from Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) to Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) decided against seeking reelection but plan to serve out the rest of their terms.

In an article published on February 22, Washington Post journalists Marianna Sotomayor, Eric Lau and Anna Liss-Roy report that many GOP lawmakers are weighing their options as chaos and uncertainty plague their majorities.

"Like no time in recent memory," the Post reporters explain, "lawmakers are setting their sights anywhere but Capitol Hill — setting the stage for crucial midterm elections that will feature fewer incumbents than usual and ensure more fresh faces in Congress next year. As of late February, 68 Senate and House members have said they will not seek reelection. An unprecedented31 of those lawmakershave filed to run for another office. In some cases, members exiting the House are hoping to enter the Senate. In others, lawmakers are seeking to return home as governor."

Sotomayor, Lau and Liss-Roy explain, "While looming midterms often prompt a swell of retirements, the number of announced departures at this point in the election cycle is notably higher than in other recent cycles, according to a Washington Post analysis…. Some who are leaving Capitol Hill are frustrated with how little is getting done."

The reporters note that GOP lawmakers are "retiring or running for another office in larger numbers than Democrats."

"Twenty-nine House Republicans are not seeking reelection, but only 10are retiring from public office," Sotomayor, Lau and Liss-Roy observe. "Ten are running for governor, while eight are hoping to move to the Senate. House Republicans have been plagued by internal battles over the past four years that they have been in the majority, including the historic ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) in 2023. Several Republicans surveyed said that the fights and legislative stagnation are not why they are retiring. In other cases, those unsavory parts of the job are a factor."

Bacon still resents the way McCarthy was ousted as House speaker after far-right then-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) tripped a "motion to vacate."

The Nebraska Republican told the Post, "I was so mad when eight people out of 223 take down Kevin McCarthy, who most of us liked. That was a tough one, that takes a little toll."