Republicans who won’t be coming back to Congress after 2018 midterm elections

After announcing last year that he would not seek re-election, Rep. Charlie Dent has decided to leave Congress before his term is finished. 

“After discussions with my family and careful reflection, I have decided to leave Congress in the coming weeks,” the Republican from Pennsylvania said in a statement.

Dent, 57, has served in Congress since 2005.

On average, 22 House members retire each cycle, Roll Call reported. But this year has seen a record number of GOP lawmakers leaving Capitol Hill, according to NPR.

Here’s the list of Republicans, in the House and Senate, who have announced they will not seek re-election:

Joe Barton

Embattled Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, announced on Nov. 30, 2017, that he was retiring from Congress.

Barton’s announcement came after pressure for him to end his re-election bid mounted. Barton, 68, apologized after a nude photo of him surfaced on social media. He said he engaged in consensual sexual relationships while he was estranged from his second wife.

“I’ve always listened to people in Texas and worked for them in Washington, and I’ve been listening to a lot of people the last week in Texas,” Barton told the Dallas Morning News in November. “There are enough people who lost faith in me that it’s time to step aside and let there be a new voice … so I am not going to run for re-election.”

Jason Chaffetz

Jason Chaffetz of Utah resigned from Congress in June 2017.

“My life has undergone some big changes over the last 18 months. Those changes have been good. But as I celebrated my 50th birthday in March, the reality of spending more than 1,500 nights away from my family over eight years hit me harder than it had before,” Chaffetz said at the time.

He later signed with Fox News as a contributor. John Curtis, a Republican, won a special election in November to replace him.

Thad Cochran

Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced on March 5 that he will resign effective April 1, citing health issues.

“I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge,” Cochran said in an online statement. “I intend to fulfull my responsiblities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle.”

The 80-year-old stayed home for a month last fall with urinary tract infections. He returned to Washington in October, giving Republicans the majority they needed to pass a budget plan.

Cochran has been serving in the Senate since 1978. He’s the tenth longest-serving senator in U.S. history, according to the statement.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint a temporary replacement. Then a special election will be held to fill the rest of the term, through January 2021.

Bob Corker

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., announced on Sept. 27, 2017, that he will not seek a third term in 2018.

Corker, 65, had previously said that he “couldn’t imagine” serving more than two terms. Corker has often feuded with President Trump.

Charlie Dent

Pennsylvania Rep. Charlie Dent first said on Sept. 7, 2017, that he would not seek re-election. But the seven-term congressman later decided that he would not finish out his term,” instead electing to leave Congress by May. 

“After discussions with my family and careful reflection, I have decided to leave Congress in the coming weeks,” Dent, 57, said in a April 17 statement. “It is my intention to continue to aggressively advocate for responsible governance and pragmatic solutions in the coming years.”

Dent has been openly critical of Trump. He voted against party lines and a repeal of ObamaCare last year and warned the president against firing the special counsel in the Russia investigation.

Jimmy Duncan

Rep. Jimmy Duncan Jr., R-Tenn., announced in July 2017 that he would not seek re-election.

In announcing his retirement, Duncan, 70, thanked conservatives who supported him against “recent attacks against me from the far left.”

“I have decided I wanted to spend less time in airports, airplanes and traveling around the district and more time with my family, especially my nine grandchildren, who all live in Knoxville,” Duncan said. “I love my job, but I love my family more.”

Roll Call reported that Duncan’s sister, state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, could launch a bid for his empty seat.

Blake Farenthold

Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, resigned from Congress on April 6, 2018.

“While I planned on serving out the remainder of my term in Congress, I know in my heart it’s time for me to move along and look for new ways to serve,” he said in a statement. 

The news came after Farenthold, 56, said in December that he was not going to to run for re-election after multiple accusations of sexual harassment, misconduct and inappropriate behavior surfaced. 

The House Ethics Committee had said it was expanding a probe into sexual harassment allegations against the lawmaker, which would include an investigation into whether he retaliated against a former staff member for complaining of such behavior. Congressional sources said Farenthold paid an $84,000 settlement using taxpayer money.

Jeff Flake

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., announced on Oct. 24, 2017, that he would not seek re-election. Flake is an ardent critic of Trump.

Flake, 55, faced a tough re-election campaign in Arizona against Kelli Ward, a physician who has also challenged Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Trump has previously said that it was “great” that Ward was running against a “toxic” Flake.

In announcing that he wouldn’t run for re-election, Flake said the GOP is becoming a “backward-looking minority party.”

“It is clear in this moment that a traditional conservative, who believes in limited government and free markets, who is devoted to free-trade, who is pro-immigration, has a narrower and narrower path to nomination in the Republican Party, the party that has for so long defined itself by its belief in those things,” Flake said. 

Trent Franks

Arizona Rep. Trent Franks announced on Dec. 8, 2017, that his resignation would take effect immediately, despite previously announcing that he’d leave the House in January due to sexual misconduct allegations against him.

He attributed the change in date to his wife’s admittance to the hospital but reports later surfaced alleging Frank repeatedly pressed a former aide to carry his child, offering her $5 million to act as a surrogate.

Franks’ announcement came as the House Ethics Committee said it was looking into whether he “engaged in conduct that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment.”

Franks, 60, maintained that he never physically intimidated, coerced or had sexual contact with any member of his staff. He said he discussed surrogacy issues with some of his female staff which made them “uncomfortable.”

The conservative congressman said that “in the midst of this current cultural and media climate, I am deeply convinced I would be unable to complete a fair House Ethics investigation before distorted and sensationalized versions of this story would put me, my family, my staff and noble colleagues in the House of Representatives through hyperbolized public excoriation.”

Rodney Frelinghuysen

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen said he will retire at the end of his term.

The New Jersey Republican, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, was facing his first competitive re-election race in decades. 

Frelinghuysen, 71, was first elected in the 1994 GOP wave that put Republicans in control of both chambers. He hails from a New Jersey political dynasty that dates to the late 1700s. His father, Peter, served in the House for two decades.

Bob Goodlatte

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte announced on Nov. 9, 2017, that he would not seek re-election, saying it is “the right time to step aside.”

The Virginia lawmaker, who has been in Congress since 1993, said he has discussed whether to run for re-election with his wife, Maryellen, every two years. This year’s conversation, Goodlatte said, was different.

“With my time as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee ending in December 2018, this is a natural stepping-off point and an opportunity to begin a new chapter of my career and spend more time with my family, particularly my granddaughters,” Goodlatte, 65, said in a letter. 

Trey Gowdy

House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy announced on Jan. 31 that he would not seek re-election or any other political office.

The South Carolina Republican, who until recently also sat on the House Ethics Committee, said he would be “returning to the justice system.”

“Whatever skills I may have are better utilized in a courtroom than in Congress, and I enjoy our justice system more than our political system,” the 53-year-old said. “As I look back on my career, it is the jobs that both seek and reward fairness that are most rewarding.”

Gowdy also oversaw the divisive House investigation into the 2012 Benghazi attack.

Gregg Harper

Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., announced in January 2018 that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term. The House Administration Committee chairman said he tried to make Congress more transparent and accountable during his tenure.

Harper, 61, was first elected in 2008. He said “10 years will be long enough” for him to have served in Congress.

Harper was an ardent supporter of anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training in the U.S. House. His committee held a hearing in November 2017 regarding sexual misconduct involving current House members.

After the hearing, House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that the House would begin to require anti-harassment and anti-discrimination trainings for members and their staff. 

Orrin Hatch

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is the longest serving Senate Republican. He announced on Jan. 2, 2018 – after weeks of speculation – that he would not seek re-election at the end of his term.

The 84-year-old said Trump told him during a recent visit to Utah that he was a “fighter.”

“But every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. And for me, that time is soon approaching,” Hatch said in a video message posted on social media.

“I’ve authored more bills that have become law than any member of Congress alive today,” Hatch also said, adding that one of his “proudest legislative achievements” was his work with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which ensures religious freedoms are protected.

Jeb Hensarling

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, announced on Oct. 31, 2017, that he will not run for re-election in 2018. 

“Today I am announcing that I will not seek re-election to the US Congress in 2018. Although service in Congress remains the greatest privilege of my life, I never intended to make it a lifetime commitment, and I have already stayed far longer than I had originally planned,” Hensarling, 60, said, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Hensarling also added that he wants to spend more time with his family.  

Darrell Issa

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., will retire at the end of his term, he announced on Jan. 10, 2018.

Issa, 64, only barely won re-election in 2016. He beat his Democratic challenger, Douglas Applegate, by less than one percentage point for California’s 49th congressional district.

This seat was seen as a toss-up that could potentially go to a Democrat in 2018, even prior to Issa’s impending retirement.  

“Representing you has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Issa, who has been in Congress since 2001, said in a statement.

But Issa could come eventually return to Congress. He is reportedly considering running for Rep. Duncan Hunter’s seat, should the Republican decide to retire as well.

Lynn Jenkins

Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., announced on Jan. 25, 2017, that she would not seek re-election or run for another office.

Jenkins, 54, said she wanted to return to the private sector although she was highly rumored to be a possible gubernatorial candidate in Kansas.

Sam Johnson

Longtime Texas Rep. Sam Johnson announced his retirement on Jan. 6, 2017.

“For me, the Lord has made clear that the season of my life in Congress is coming to an end,” Johnson, 87, said.

Johnson is an Air Force veteran who was a prisoner of war at the infamous Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam.

Frank LoBiondo

Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., will retire from Congress at the end of his term. The 71-year-old assumed his seat in 1995.

LoBiondo’s retirement opens up a seat in a potential swing district. Trump won it in 2016, but former President Barack Obama took the district in 2012.

The GOP lawmaker has differed from his party on certain issues. He voted against the budget framework and has expressed concerns about Republicans’ tax plan, specifically the move to eliminate certain state and local deductions. 

Patrick Meehan

In a letter to his campaign chairman on Jan. 25, 2018, Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., reportedly said he would not be seeking re-election.

“After consultation with my wife Carolyn and with my three sons, and after prayerful reflection, I write to inform you that I will not seek re-election to the United States Congress for the 7th Congressional District in 2018,” Meehan wrote, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The decision, the 62-year-old reportedly said, was made following reports that he allegedly used taxpayer money to fund a settlement to a former aide who claimed he sexually harassed her. Meehan called the revelations “a major distraction” and said he needed “to own it because it is my own conduct that fueled the matter.”

On Jan. 23, 2018, Meehan acknowledged telling a longtime former aide that he considered her a “soul mate” and admitted acting “selfishly” after learning that she was dating someone else. The former aide filed a sexual misconduct complaint against the lawmaker last summer and he allegedly used taxpayer money in the settlement.

Tim Murphy

GOP Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania announced on Oct. 5, 2017, that he would resign his position in Congress. The news followed reports that the lawmaker, who has publicly been staunchly anti-abortion, had an affair and asked his mistress to get an abortion when they believed she was pregnant.

Murphy, 65, said he will “take personal time to seek help as my family and I continue to work through our personal difficulties.” 

Ted Poe

In a Twitter message, Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, announced that he will not seek re-election.

“I am grateful for the honor and privilege to represent the best people in America, Texas’s Second Congressional District. Thanks to the good Lord, I’m in good health, but it’s time for the next step,” Poe, 69, said on Nov. 7, 2017.

He added that he’s planning to spend more time with his grandchildren. All 12 of them were born since he’s been in Congress, Poe said. He assumed office in 2005. 

Dave Reichert

After serving seven terms in Congress, Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., said he would not seek re-election on Sept. 6, 2017. A former sheriff, Reichert, 67, represents a district that is being targeted by Democrats in 2018. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won the area in the 2016 election.

Reichert said the decision to retire from Congress was “the right one for my family and me.”

Tom Rooney

After nearly 10 years in Congress, Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., said he will not be running for re-election.

Rooney, 47, said in a statement that “it’s time to ‘hang em up’” and thanked his constituents for “allowing [him] the opportunity to serve them in Washington.” 

“I look forward to serving Florida again in the future in a different capacity. Keep the faith. Slainte!” the congressman said.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Rooney’s decision was not too surprising, given his frustration with Washington. The publication also said Rooney was “deeply affected” by the shooting at a practice for the Congressional Baseball Game in June 2017.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., announced on April 30, 2017, that she would not seek re-election. Ros-Lehtinen, 65, has been a congresswoman since 1989.

“The most difficult challenge is not to simply keep winning elections; but rather the more difficult challenge is to not let the ability to win define my seasons,” she said.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Ros-Lehtinen is considered a moderate Republican who was not a strong supporter of Trump.

Dennis Ross

Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., announced on April 11 that he would not seek re-election. Ross, 58, has been in Congress since 2011.

“I am grateful for this incredible opportunity to serve and I look forward to the next chapter of my life which will include, in some way, continued public service,” Ross said in a Facebook statement. “I never viewed this amazing opportunity as a job or a career. My home has been and will continue to be in Lakeland, Florida.”

As a lawmaker, he served on multiple House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittees, including Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy.

Ed Royce

On Jan. 8, 2018, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., announced that he would not seek re-election.

Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he wanted to completely focus his final year as committee chairman on the “urgent threats facing our nation.”

Royce, 66, is serving out his 13th term.

In an announcement detailing his decision to not seek re-election, Royce cited the tax cut bill passed in December and the crackdown on the global ivory trade as some of his accomplishments.

Paul Ryan

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced on April 11 that he would finish out his term in Congress but not seek re-election.

Ryan was first elected to Congress in 1998 and has served as House Speaker since October 2015.

In his announcement, Ryan, 48, said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and three children. The speaker was known for sleeping in his Capitol Hill office and traveling back to Wisconsin weekly.

“I have given this job everything I had, and I have no regrets whatsoever for having accepted this responsibility,” Ryan said. “This has been one of the two greatest honors of my life.”

Ryan said it’s “easy” for his job “to take over everything in your life.”

As speaker, Ryan was instrumental the passage of the 2017 tax reform bill – an issue that is close to his heart. He said reforming the nation’s tax code and increasing defense spending were “lasting victories that make this country more prosperous and more secure for decades to come.”

Despite disagreements between the two, President Trump called Ryan a “truly good man” who will “leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question” on social media.

Bill Shuster

Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Bill Shuster, 57, told the Washington Examiner that even though he doesn’t plan to seek re-election, he still hopes to work with Trump on passing a large infrastructure bill before he leaves Congress.

The Pennsylvania Republican announced on Jan. 2, 2017 that he would not seek re-election in November. He told the publication that as he would not be coming back to Washington as a congressman, he could better work with parties on both sides of the aisle during his remaining time in office. 

Lamar Smith

Rep. Lamar Smith, a 70-year-old Republican serving Texas, announced on Nov. 2, 2017 that he would be retiring from Congress at the end of his term.

Smith, who chairs the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, has served in the House of Representatives since 1987.

Luther Strange

Luther Strange, R-Ala., was appointed to Jeff Sessions’ old Senate after he was picked to be the attorney general.

But Strange, 65, lost in the special primary election earlier in 2017 to Roy Moore. Moore became the GOP nominee for the Senate and eventually lost to Democrat Doug Jones. 

In his farewell speech to the Senate in December, Strange encouraged his fellow lawmakers to remain committed to bipartisanship.

“To lose the art of balance and compromise in this body is to lose something essentially American,” he said.

Pat Tiberi

Ohio Rep. Pat Tiberi, 55, announced on Oct. 19, 2017, that he would resign from Congress in early 2018 to lead the Ohio Business Roundtable as the association’s president.

Serving as a Republican congressman for 17 years, Tiberi’s final day in Congress was Jan. 15, 2018.

Dave Trott

Rep. Dave Trott, R-Mich., announced on Sept. 11, 2017 that he would not seek re-election.

Trott, 57, will retire at the end of his second term. His district is Republican-leaning, but analysts told the Detroit News that a Democrat could flip the seat.

Republican lawmakers running for governor

Diane Black

Having served in Congress for four terms, Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., announced in August 2017 that she would run for governor in her state.

“Most people in politics say the right things, but they never fight for the right things,” Black said in a video announcing her candidacy. “They’re too meek or maybe even too weak … I don’t back down.”

Black, 67, was the first female chair of the powerful House Budget Committee, and she was in that position during the nation’s tax overhaul. She resigned as chairwoman last year to focus on her gubernatorial race.

Ron DeSantis

Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., officially launched his bid for governor in January 2018.

A former Navy lawyer, DeSantis, 39, is an ardent support of Trump and was praised by the president on social media last year.

“Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!” Trump tweeted a month before DeSantis made his official announcement.

Raul Labrador

Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, announced in the summer of 2017 that he would finish his current term but then run for governor of Idaho in 2018 instead of re-election, according to HuffPost.

Labrador, 50, is a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Kristi Noem

Instead of seeking re-election in 2018, Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., announced in November 2016 that she will run for governor instead.

Noem, 46, officially kicked off her gubernatorial bid last year.

Steve Pearce

New Mexico Rep. Steve Pearce opted to run for governor of his state instead of re-election.

Pearce, 70, has been a congressman for more than 12 years. He told the Albuquerque Journal that as governor he would focus on the exodus of young people leaving the state. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.