Amid a growing wave of retirements, we wanted to give you a sense of who else might be heading for the exits. Tuesday, we focused on Democrats. Now it’s the Republicans’ turn.
In recent weeks, GOP Reps. Debbie Lesko (Ariz.), Kay Granger (Texas), Ken Buck (Colo.), Bill Johnson (Ohio), Brad Wenstrup (Ohio), George Santos (N.Y.) and Michael Burgess (Texas) all announced they’re not running for reelection.
Other GOP members to watch:
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): California’s filing deadline is under two weeks away and all eyes are on the former speaker. McCarthy denied rumors in October that he was stepping down early from the House. But we’ll be closely watching to see if McCarthy ends up filing for reelection before Dec. 8.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.): Graves, the current chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, may face a vigorous challenge to his position after this Congress. Graves has been in Congress since 2001 and might be looking for a new challenge.
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.): Lamborn survived a primary scare last cycle when he received less than 50% of the vote but triumphed in a four-person race. We didn’t hear back from Lamborn’s campaign team on whether he was running in 2024.
Who isn’t going anywhere: Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) is running for reelection, spokesperson Lexi Hamel told us.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) is running for reelection and plans to do so as long as he’s in good health. Wilson, 76, has served in the House since 2001.
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) is also running despite being seriously injured by a wayward bull on his farm. Lucas, chair of the Science Committee, was out for nearly two months. “How can I leave when there is so much work to be done? Yes, I have every intention of running for re-election,” Lucas said in a statement.
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) is seeking another term. “Congressman Calvert completed the candidate filing process last week, has raised more than $3 million this year, and is looking forward to his re-election next year,” spokesperson Jason Gagnon told us.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise is running for reelection, per spokesperson Lauren Fine.
The dean of the House, Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), told a local Kentucky reporter this summer he plans on running in 2024 “unless something happens.”
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) is “absolutely” running for reelection, per spokesperson Mike Finan.
Rogers and Smith will both be seeking their 23rd term.
Updates from Tuesday: Both Reps. David Scott (D-Ga.) and John Larson’s (D-Conn.) teams got in touch and told us their members plan to run for reelection.
Note: Out of the top 20 longest-serving candidates in the House, 16 are Democrats.
— Max Cohen and Mica Soellner
