Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., on Tuesday became the latest in a string of lawmakers to announce they will not run for reelection in 2024.
Almost a dozen House GOP members alone announced in October and November their plans to retire from office at the end of their terms. The incumbents offered largely personal explanations, while some pointed to a distaste for Washington politics.
A ten-term congressman, McHenry stepped in as interim House speaker in October following the ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. McHenry on Tuesday didn’t share many details about his departure, but he said he’s “confident” in the House’s future, despite the upheaval after McCarthy’s removal.
“There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some—like me—have decided to leave. Those concerns are exaggerated,” McHenry said in his statement. “I’ve seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn.”
In total, more than 35 members of Congress, including senators and House lawmakers, have announced they are not seeking reelection in 2024.
‘Washington, D.C. is broken’: Lawmakers dissatisfied with Congress and party
Some congressional leaders do not share McHenry’s vote of confidence.
Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck cited “insidious narratives” within his own party, in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, announcing his retirement at the end of his term.
“Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen, describing January 6 as an unguided tour of the Capitol and asserting that the ensuing prosecutions are a weaponization of our justice system,” Buck said.
Buck, currently in his fifth term in the House, called election denial and the fractured climate in Congress a “significant departure” from his party’s conservative history.
Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., cast a wider net when announcing her retirement.
“Right now, Washington, D.C. is broken; it is hard to get anything done,” Lesko, who is in her is in her third term representing a district in the northwest Phoenix area, wrote in a statement in October.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced that he would not seek reelection in November, saying in a statement at the time that, “Every incentive in Washington is designed to make our politics extreme.”
‘Being a working mom is tough’: Lawmakers cite families, children
Other congressional incumbents say they are stepping aside to spend more time at home, including Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who announced her retirement months ahead of her colleagues in February.
“I won a lot of tough battles for the people and will work hard to win a few more in the next two years,” Spartz said in a statement at the time. “However, being a working mom is tough and I need to spend more time with my two high school girls back home, so I will not run for any office in 2024.”
In a video posted to X last month, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, announced he would not seek reelection after a decade in office so that he can spend more time with his wife and two children.
“Sadly, all too often the frantic pace of Washington has kept me away from our home. I’m ready to change that,” Wenstrup said.
Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., announced last month that he would not seek reelection in 2024, “after spending time with my wife, children and grandchildren and contemplating our future.” The move came as he has battled cancer this year.
Longtime lawmakers make room for ‘next generation’
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, announced she would not run again after serving 14 terms in the House since 1997. The House Appropriations chair said she is “encouraged by the next generation of leaders.”
“It’s time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people,” Granger said in her November statement.
Her words echo another longtime congressional Republican stepping down after 2024.
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah announced his retirement plans in September and called for “the next generation of leaders” to step up to the plate.
“They are the ones who need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in,” Romney said at the time.
Romney has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The Utah lawmaker said at a press conference earlier this year that he believes the party will eventually follow and shift away from Trump in the future.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told the Associated Press after she announced her retirement in January “I knew that this was a moment when I could pass the torch to the next generation of leaders.”
