House GOP Bolts in Record Numbers Ahead of Midterm Bloodbath [View all]
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Source: Daily Beast
Updated Mar. 30 2026 5:53PM EDT
Published Mar. 30 2026 5:30PM EDT
A growing wave of Republican retirements is fueling alarm within the GOP, as lawmakers head for the exits ahead of what is predicted to be a brutal midterm cycle.
On Friday, Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri became the 36th Republican House member to announce they will not seek re-election in 2026, saying it was time to “pass the torch” to a new generation. That is compared to 21 House Democrats.
“After considerable reflection, 2026 will be my final year in Congress,” he wrote in an X post. “This wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one. I believe in making room for the next generation. It’s time to pass the torch and allow a new guard of conservative leaders to step forward and chart a path forward for Missourians.”
Graves’ departure pushes the GOP’s retirement wave to its highest level ahead of a midterm in nearly a century, according to an ABC News analysis. The exodus now exceeds the 34 Republicans who chose not to run again in 2018, when Democrats flipped the House in a 40-seat wave during Trump’s first term.
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/house-gop-bolts-in-record-numbers-ahead-of-midterm-bloodbath/
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