Surge in House Democratic 2022 retirement announcements as 2021 comes to a close

With the end-of-the-year holiday break fast approaching, the announcements came quickly.

A trio of Democrats in the House of Representatives – Reps. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, and Albio Sires of New Jersey – last week said that they’ll retire at the end of next year rather than run in the 2022 midterm elections for another term in Congress.

The latest news brought to 23 the number of House Democrats who are retiring or bidding for another office rather than run for reelection in 2022, when their party tries to defend its razor-thin majority in the House amid historically unfavorable headwinds and a rough political climate. The GOP needs a net gain of just five seats in the 435-member chamber next year to regain the House majority it lost to the Democrats in the 2018 midterms. 

Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., speaks during the Problem Solvers Caucus press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Murphy on Dec. 20, 2011 announced she wouldn't seek reelection in the 2022 midterms.  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)