With midterms more than a year away, a record number of lawmakers are eyeing the exits

Since President Trump returned to the White House this year, a record number of members are eyeing the exits as the Republican-led Congress has largely ceded its power to Trump's vision of the country.

With just under 15 months to go until the 2026 midterms, nine Senators and 21 House members have announced they don't plan to run for reelection, each a modern record for this point before the election, according to an NPR analysis of Congressional campaign data since 2017.

As of Aug. 12, 2025, there will be 470 Congressional seats on the ballot in 2026: all 435 House seats, 33 regularly-scheduled Senate contests and two special elections to fill the remainder of Senate terms in Ohio and Florida.

Digging into the data of Congressional retirements and relocations over the last decade sin