Dem
47
GOP
53
They are running for the hills. Another Republican representative has thrown in the towel. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) is #24. He is a mere sapling at 70, and his district is R+10, the most conservative in the state of Washington. There is no obvious reason for him to retire. We suspect that he suspects that the Republicans will be in the minority in 2027 and the Democrats will force a lot of votes he doesn't want to take, so maybe enough is enough after six terms.
Newhouse was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump. With Newhouse gone, the only (possible) other impeach-Trump Republican left is Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), but he faces a tough reelection battle. If he goes down, that means Trump will have gotten rid of all 10 Republican representatives who voted to impeach him. That certainly sends a message to any representative about voting for impeachment if Democrats capture the House in 2026.
Newhouse is (obviously) not a flaming Trumper. He has mostly focused on agricultural issues, which makes him a good fit for his rural district. Absent a massive tsunami or a "candidate quality" problem, some other Republican should be able to hold Newhouse's seat.
Retirement season is upcoming. Often there are retirement announcements in January, after members have discussed their futures with friends, family, and constituents over the holidays. Although Newhouse's seat is not in danger, other retirements could happen in more competitive districts. You can keep track of retirements using the Congress: retirements link to the left of the map above.
In other House news, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) has a challenger. There is nothing wrong with Thompson. He is a good Democrat and even chaired the 1/6 House committee. His problem is that he is 77, and many Democrats want younger elected officials. A former lawyer for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Evan Turnage, will challenge Thompson in a primary. Turnage is 33. His only difference with Thompson is that he thinks Thompson is too old and Thompson does not agree.
As a quick side note, Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) said he would retire to run for county judge. Now he has said that he will not run for judge because campaigning would take him away from the House too much, and his vote might be needed until Jan. 3, 2027. (V)