Rep. Jerry McNerney (D. CA) and Rep. Jim Langevin, (D.RI) announced that they will not run for reelection. They became the 27th and 28th Democrats to leave Congress respectively, putting their party’s chances at keeping the majority in greater danger.
McNerney became the 27th Democrat to announce his retirement. He said, in a series of tweets, “Today, I am announcing my decision not to seek reelection for California’s newly formed 9th Congressional District.”
According to the congressman, he felt “honored” to have been able to represent California’s nineteenth Congressional District for five terms and California’s eleventh Congressional District for 3 terms.
Langevin is the 28th Democrat to announce his retirement. Langevin stated in an op-ed in the Providence Journal, “After serving Rhode Island for more than 3 decades – including 11 years in Congress – today, I am announcing I will not be a candidate in the elected office this November.”
It is amazing to see all the things we have accomplished together. I have worked tirelessly to advance and protect the rights of Americans living with disabilities. I also worked across the aisle for investment in job training, apprenticeships, career, and technical education.
Both retiring Democrats were close confidants to Nancy Pelosi (D–CA) and President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. in the current Congress. They have both helped pass partisan agenda items. ProPublica reports that McNerney and Langevin voted 100 percent with Pelosi.
Some of the partisan votes included the $1.2 trillion, 2,702-page bipartisan infrastructure bill that Biden signed earlier this year. The $1.75 trillion Build back Better Act (BBB), also known as the Democrats’ reconciliation infrastructure bill.
Recent legislation by the House included the Freedom to Vote Act (and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act) which would have crippled Republican efforts to improve election integrity across the country.
These two are the latest Democrats to declare they won’t seek reelection to the House. However, they are not the first and only twentieth to actually retire from the public eye. Eight more Democrats also announced that they would be running for another office in either a local or state election.
Rumors abound that more Democrats will abandon ship before the midterms. This is because more redistricting maps have been accepted and the deadlines for filing for reelection are closer.
Calvin Moore, Communications Director at the Congressional Leadership Fund, stated that Democrats have a difficult choice. He said, “Democrats must make a decision: retire now or stay and get fired.” “Democrats are flooding the exits because of their failures on all fronts.
McNerney’s retirement allowed Rep. Josh Harder (D.CA) to run for the vacant district. Harder made the announcement shortly after McNerney announced his retirement.
Jerry, thank you for your outstanding service to our community. Today, I am humbled to announce that I will be running in CA-9, which includes parts of Jerry’s and nine districts. My great-grandfather, who was more than 150 years old, traveled by wagon train to California to establish a peach farm in Manteca and to raise his family.
Harder announced that he would be moving to the Ninth Congressional District of California’s Thirteenth Congressional District. This is safer for a Democrat than the original district, which was significantly altered by the redistricting process.
