Many Democrats announce they’re leaving their seats to retire or seek different office.
QUICK FACTS:
- Republicans only need to gain five seats to pick up the House majority after the 2022 midterm elections, Breitbart reports.
- “So far, more than triple the amount of Democrats (18 total) have decided to officially call it quits on the House and have left their seats open for a fight, giving Republicans a chance to gain another seat since House Republicans only need to net five seats to gain the majority and retire Pelosi as Speaker,” notes Breitbart.
- Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) was the 18th House Democrat to announce he will be leaving the House to run for New York governor. “This will potentially give Republicans a pickup seat in New York because Democrats have struggled to find new candidates willing to run for office,” Breitbart comments.
- Ten other Democrats announced they are retiring from public office after the current term, which expires in January 2023, and another seven are quitting to run for other offices.
BREITBART REPORTS:
Suozzi joined the ten Democrats who announced they are retiring from public office after the current term, which expires in January 2023: Reps. Filemon Vela (D-TX) and Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) announced their retirements in March; Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), the former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairwoman, announced she would not seek reelection in April; scandal-ridden Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) announced he would be retiring in August; House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) announced, along with longtime Reps. David Price (D-NC) and Mike Doyle (D-PA), they would both not be seeking reelection in October; Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) announced, along with longtime Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) , they would both not seek reelection in November.
Additionally, seven have announced they are running for a different office: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) announced in April he would be running for the U.S. Senate seat in his home state being vacated by retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH); Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) announced in May he is running for governor in Florida, after previously being governor in the state as a Republican from 2007 to 2011; Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) announced in June she would run for a U.S. Senate seat in the Sunshine State; Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) announced in August, he would be running for the U.S. Senate seat in his home state being vacated by retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA); Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) announced in September her candidacy for the Los Angeles mayoral race to replace outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti (D); Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD) announced in October he would run for Maryland Attorney General; and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) announced in November he would be running for the U.S. Senate seat in his home state being vacated by retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
