A legislator from New Hampshire has recently declared her decision not to seek re-election this coming November. Representative Annie Kuster, a Democrat from New Hampshire, has served in Congress for more than ten years. Although her district is not considered marginal, she joins a rising trend of lawmakers intending to depart from Congress after the current term concludes.
Kuster, who was elected to serve New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District in 2012 and officially began her tenure in Congress on January 3, 2013, released a statement on March 27 confirming her decision not to seek re-election. In her statement, she expressed her commitment to continue serving her constituents until the end of her term and highlighted her involvement in the New Democrat Coalition, emphasizing efforts to advance bipartisan legislation. Nonetheless, she acknowledged experiencing frustrations and challenges during her time in the House, among other factors.
Political experts speculate that Kuster’s district is expected to remain under Democratic control following the election, suggesting her decision to not seek re-election isn’t driven by concerns of losing. At 67 years old, it’s plausible she simply feels ready to step away. However, she’s not alone in this decision, as she joins a notable list of 42 other House members who have also announced their intentions not to run again in November.
Among the 42 House members who have declared they won’t seek re-election, 24 belong to the Democratic Party while 18 are Republicans. Although this figure isn’t remarkably high compared to previous election cycles – with 44 announcements at this point in the 2018 cycle, 35 in 2020, and 42 in 2022 – the partisan breakdown of those departing leans noticeably towards Democrats, particularly significant in a House where the GOP holds a fragile majority.
This trend is even more pronounced in the Senate, where eight senators, comprising an independent, two Republicans, and five Democrats, have announced they won’t pursue re-election this year. While this alignment could be coincidental, given President Biden’s ongoing challenges in the polls, it wouldn’t be surprising if many progressive lawmakers have reached their limit.
