House Retirement Rush Still Short of Average
November 17, 2015 · 9:27 AM EST
In spite of the recent rush of retirement announcements, this Congress is still below the historical average of exits each cycle, which means more House retirements are likely to come.
Wyoming Republican Cynthia Lummis, California Democrat Sam Farr and Texas Democrat Rubén Hinojosa capped off the week by announcing they will not seek re-election next year. The trio makes 14 members who are leaving the House without seeking another office in 2016, according to Roll Call’s Casualty List.
But this Congress is still well short of the historical average. From 1976 to 2014, 22 House members, on average, retired. Last cycle, 24 members retired without seeking another office.
As members spend time with their families over the holidays and filing deadlines creep closer, it’s likely there will be at least a handful or more retirement announcements in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Overall, there are 28 House open seats, including districts where the member is seeking another office. Open seats can often be easier takeover targets, because it is difficult to unseat an incumbent, but just eight of those races are rated as competitive in the general election due to the partisanship makeup of the districts.