Congressional short-timers: These lawmakers are on the way out

With the 2026 midterm elections about 16 months off, specifics of congressional churn are becoming clearer. Per the chart below, a swath of House members is giving up their seats in bids for statewide offices. So far, only one representative is set to retire after the November 2026 elections, though more lawmakers almost certainly will do so.

Senate retirement ranks, however, are a different story. Five senators in the 100-member chamber are set to leave after this election cycle.

The most prominent is Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who captained the Senate GOP for 18 years, making for the longest tenure ever of a Senate party leader. First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell went on to be majority leader for six years, spending the final

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