Which House members have announced retirements or resignations for late 2025 and early 2026?
Executive summary
A wave of departures has reshaped the House heading into the 2026 cycle: dozens of incumbents have announced they will not run again, while several left their seats late in 2025 or in early January 2026 through resignation, retirement announcements or death — a mix that includes high-profile resignations (Rep. Mikie Sherrill), an abrupt resignation (Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene), long‑time retirements (Rep. Steny Hoyer and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced they would not return) and other exits that will trigger special elections or open-seat contests [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. The scale: dozens exiting, dozens running elsewhere
Journalists and trackers report a historic level of House churn: as of mid‑January 2026 roughly 47–48 current representatives had announced retirements or plans not to return, with reporting (AP/PBS/Wikipedia) putting the figure in that neighborhood and noting many are running for other offices — governorships or U.S. Senate bids — rather than simply leaving politics [1] [5] [6].
2. Late‑2025 departures that already changed the roster
Several departures occurred in late 2025 and immediately thereafter and will affect early‑2026 calendars: Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned her New Jersey House seat on Nov. 20, 2025 after winning the governorship, creating a special‑election timetable [7] [2]. Other mid‑late 2025 exits included representatives who announced retirements at the end of the year and whose seats will be open for the 2026 cycle (reporters tracking retirements list dozens by December 2025) [3] [8].
3. High‑profile early January 2026 changes: resignation, death and retirements
The first days of January 2026 produced headline departures: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would resign effective Jan. 5, 2026 following public clashes with former President Trump and internal GOP disputes, a move covered across outlets [3] [2]. Separately, Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s death was reported Jan. 6, 2026, a sudden development that removes another GOP incumbent from the roster [4]. Longstanding House figures also formally announced retirements around this period — for example, Rep. Steny Hoyer’s decision to retire was reported in early January 2026 and was widely covered as the end of a storied career [4].
4. Named individual moves and the limits of current reporting
Beyond those already noted, trackers list many other named departures or campaign shifts: Rep. Elise Stefanik was reported to be exiting Congress after a brief 2025 gubernatorial bid [4]; Rep. Don Bacon is cited as retiring and not running in 2026 amid redistricting discussions [5]; Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s retirement was reported earlier in 2025 and figures in retirement tallies [4]. Local outlets document regional retirements and resignations (for example, Rep. Veasey pursued a county judgeship and other members like Garcia announced they would not seek another term), but available sources do not present a single, definitive roster of every individual who announced a late‑2025 or early‑2026 exit in one place [8] [9].
5. What this means politically and why coverage varies
Analysts emphasize that departures skew both to members seeking higher office (governor, Senate) and to those stepping away; this mix amplifies turnover beyond simple retirement numbers and complicates forecasting for both parties [5] [6]. Coverage varies by outlet — with some trackers (Ballotpedia, AP, Wikipedia, local public media) focusing on aggregate counts while local reporting highlights individual district impacts and special‑election timetables — which creates differing headline counts [4] [10] [11]. Readers should note that some sources classify members differently (retired vs. resigned vs. running for another office), which explains slight discrepancies across trackers [10] [12].
6. Reporting gaps and how to follow updates
The available sources document many named cases (Sherrill’s Nov. 21, 2025 resignation; Greene’s Jan. 5, 2026 resignation; LaMalfa’s death Jan. 6, 2026; Hoyer’s retirement announcement) but do not compile a single exhaustive, up‑to‑the‑minute list that reconciles every classification difference; therefore any complete roster for “late 2025 and early 2026” requires cross‑checking AP, Ballotpedia, local outlets and ongoing trackers cited here [2] [4] [10] [11]. Reporters should watch the retirement trackers maintained by AP, Ballotpedia and Wikipedia for near‑real‑time updates and consult state election officials for special‑election schedules [10] [11] [5].