By Carol Lucas
Have you ever used the idiom, “Getting out while the going’s good?” Or perhaps you preferred “making hay while the sun shines” or even “striking while the iron is hot.”
All these suggest acting promptly and decisively to capitalize on a positive opportunity before it’s lost. And in this case, it seems to suggest getting (the hell) out of Dodge, or more specifically Washington, D.C., would be the expedient path to take.
The departures from Congress began in 2024 when looming on the horizon were the dark clouds of unsuccessful deal-making. Most notable were Senators Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona Democrat-turned-Independent; Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.). All tended to be centrists whose main thrust while in office was fiscal responsibility.
Before they left, a bipartisan bill on immigration collapsed after then-former President Trump urged the Republicans to kill the bill. It should be noted that there were Democrats who voted against it as well.
What drew me to the ‘exit-stage-right’ trend, however, were some of the more recent decisions.
Last Sunday, June 29, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced his retirement saying, “I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term. It’s not a hard choice.” He capped off his retirement announcement by verbally attacking “the big beautiful bill” for its cuts to Medicaid and renewable energy tax credits.
It is worth noting that earlier this year, the N.C. lawmaker was the sole GOP vote against Ed Martin, the White House’s pick to become U.S. attorney for D.C. Tillis said at the time that he was skeptical of Martin’s views on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — the nominee defended rioters who breached the Capitol and, as D.C.’s acting U.S. attorney, was the subject of an investigation into his office’s handling of Jan. 6 cases.
Tillis, as a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the upper chamber’s influential panel charged with reviewing the White House’s picks for federal judgeships has been willing to reach across the aisle and support even those nominees offered by Democratic administrations.
Also joining the ranks of retirees is Rep. Mark Green, (R-Tenn.). This is a move that was expected but one that could, at least for now, shrink Republicans’ already narrow majority in the House. “While I cannot give the details here, I will be doing something specifically designed to help America compete against the CCP [Chinese Communist Party], but this time in business,” Green said in a video on X.
Still one more flight is that of Don Bacon (R-Neb.) who announced that he won’t run again. He, too, is considered to be a centrist who said this past week he doesn’t have the “hunger” for another grueling re-election campaign. It is worth noting that Bacon is just one of three House Republicans who won in Congressional Districts that were captured by Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency.
And so, the gist I gathered from all of this is that centrist Republicans are opting out rather than staying to do battle. They apparently have reached the point of saturation.
Then there is this to be factored in. I watched a video in which Lisa Murkowski spoke and was very open in using the word “scared.” She reiterated this several times. Part of me is disgusted, and yet for part of me this admission resonates. After all, 47 ran on a “term of retribution,” and we know that there have been several examples of threats on members of Congress, as well as the assassination of those in Minn.
That 47 exonerated those incarcerated for their participation in the Jan. 6th riots that included the attack on and the murder of Capitol Police can hardly be overlooked. His green light for violence understandably instills fright in those who dare to object.
As of June 29, 2025, 23 members of the U.S. Congress — seven members of the U.S. Senate and 16 members of the U.S. House of Representatives announced they would not seek re-election in 2026.,
Elections to the U.S. Senate will be held on Nov. 3, 2026. Thirty-three of the 100 seats are up for regular election. Special elections may be held to fill vacancies that occur in the 119th Congress.
Now, dear reader, you must admit I have been very matter-of-fact in writing this article, perhaps boringly so. In doing this, I have tried to provide accurate information without bias. But heaven help me, I must digress at least once. You would be disappointed otherwise.
I will momentarily move away from this fact-filled exposition, and provide something on a more positive note. In all my research for the facts, I ran across this nugget and simply couldn’t resist. It seems that U.S. Senator Tommy Tubberville (R-Ala.) is retiring and will run for governor of “Sweet Home” Alabama. I’ll leave it at that.
It is becoming rather apparent that being a part of Congress is so miserable, especially for those who don’t see compromise as a dirty word, that leaving early is preferable to making it a life-long career choice.
Perhaps this is a good thing as many political scientists have suggested that all terms should be limited. Clearly those who are exhausted rather than fulfilled by the lack of bipartisan deal-making are choosing to exit. Only time will tell whether or not their replacements are what is needed.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
