34 GOP House members resigning vs. 16 Democrats
Retiring Republicans
WASHINGTON (Fox 32 News) - Republicans are running for the doors of Congress, announcing that they are retiring at a rate double their Democratic counterparts.
So far, 34 Republican House seats will be up for grabs this November. Twenty-two of those Republicans are retiring; 12 are running for another office.
That is compared to 16 Democrats leaving office.
The total is more than twice the normal drop-out rate. According to Roll Call, since 1976 an average of 22 house members have retired every cycle.
Incumbents have a major advantage over newcomers in name recognition and fundraising, so Democrats are hoping to capitalize on GOP retirements. To win back the majority, Democrats will have to gain 24 seats.