Scoop: Huge wave of House members eyes 2026 exits

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

11 hours ago


With votes still being counted in the 2024 election, at least two dozen ambitious House members are already sizing up runs for higher office in 2026, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: This extraordinarily large cohort could cause all kinds of headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as they navigate a razor-thin House majority.

Both sides are trying to maximize attendance and minimize early retirements in one of the most closely divided Houses in history.

Driving the news: The scale of House members eyeing bids for higher office in 2026 is far greater than is publicly known, according to lawmakers and aides who spoke to Axios.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios that "folks have talked about" him running for governor and that he is "not actively seeking it nor ruling it out."

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) is being encouraged to run for governor and considering it, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.

Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) is weighing running for Senate if Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) retires, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) has been approached to run for Vice President-elect Vance's Senate seat if outgoing Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) doesn't, sources told Axios.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is also considering a run for governor, according to sources familiar with her thinking.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is seen as a potential candidate for governor, Axios previously reported.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who has floated a run for governor, is also considering vying to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), according to sources familiar with the matter.

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) is a potential candidate for statewide office in Colorado, several senior House Democrats told Axios.

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is being encouraged to run for governor, a source familiar with the matter told Axios, though he hasn't publicly indicated any plans to do so.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told Axios he is "considering both" challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) or a run for governor.

Zoom in: Those names are on top of a slew of House members already publicly running or considering bids for other offices.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/11/27/house-members-running-for-senate-governor-2026

[elleng]

1. Let the repugs GET the Hell OUT, and make Jeffries House LEADER!!!

[hlthe2b]

2. Well, while the House is a priority, so too is keeping the CO governorship and conceivably at least one Senate seat

may be open (Hickenlooper may or may not run for reelection or may be eying the governorship). So, I get it for both Jason Crow and Joe Neguse. But boy does the House need their talent (along with Moskowitz--eyeing the FL governorship). Special elections are required for ANY of them in the event they were to leave--meaning a vacancy as much as six months.

So, this could be beyond problematic.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. If Hickenlooper decides not to run, I would love to see Neguse give it a shot

He is a treasure!!!! He is also young (40) and could be there for a good long time.

[hlthe2b]

5. Yup. And Crow would make a good governor. But, two House seats-'-yikes.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. I would think there might be some in the CO General Assembly (either chamber)

who might consider a run!

[hlthe2b]

7. There will be, but it is hard to get enough momentum from a state legislature vantagepoint...

Seems the past four or more governors were either in the US House or had been elected and served statewide offices--the exception being Hickenlooper, but he'd been mayor of Denver so that gave him some statewide recognition.

Sadly, name recognition matters, and gawd help us if the RW cretins. like Boebert (and others) get a boost for this reason only.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. I just went down the rabbithole

and wonder if your (newish) SOH Julie McCluskie, might be able to up her profile and consider it. She apparently was born/raised/lives in Dillon, which appears to be in Neguse's District.

(as a sidenote, I have been to CO twice - first time was a couple weeks in Florissant and the second was a week in Denver )

[hlthe2b]

10. Maybe...

And, I love my state, so come and see us any time!

[BumRushDaShow]

11. I love your state too

Was a John Denver fan for decades (although I know he was originally from NM) and managed to see what he sang about, up close and personal! The aspen trees, columbines, and of course the mounains (where you could literally touch the sky). Interestingly enough though, Denver reminded me of Baltimore - am guessing because of similar era buildings.

[hlthe2b]

12. Re: JD--Oh, me too...

sigh...

[cstanleytech]

14. County and State level elections should be more focused than they have been in the past few decades.

That's how the Republicans have managed to gradually take more and more seats at the Federal level in the House from us because it's the States that set their own districts up.

[OrlandoDem2]

28. How do we get the DNC to understand this?

[cstanleytech]

34. At this point it's going to have to be via the donation method as whenever we donate we tell them where to spend it.

We don't let them decide to focus most it on House or Senate seats.
The three States we might want to focus on first are Texas, North Carolina and Georgia.

[BComplex]

16. No way is Florida going to elect a Democrat for governor!

WTF?

[jvill]

22. Yeah, there's a lot of Axios straight BS in this post...

This one in particular doesn't pass the laugh test:

"Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who has floated a run for governor, is also considering vying to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), according to sources familiar with the matter."

De Santis picks the Rubio replacement. Is Axios really telling us Moskowitz is in the running? Nonsense... Talk about clickbait...

[OrlandoDem2]

29. If Matt Gaetz or Byron Donalds is the nominee then it's possible.

[Walleye]

3. I'm starting to think South Carolina deserves Nancy Mace as governor. After electing Graham and Scott to the Senate

[hlthe2b]

9. I can never even see her face (or MTG, Boebert, Virginia Foxx and probably a couple of others)...

without wanting to break my vow of nonviolence and deliver a hearty (and head-spinning) SMACK.

[DENVERPOPS]

18. MTG and Boebert

Belong on E. Colfax here in Denver..........

[SCantiGOP]

15. One clarification:

Scott probably would have never been elected. He was appointed to the vacancy and then won re- election.
SC has a tradition of keeping incumbents in office - i.e., Strom Thurmond served till he was 100. Lindsey will be hard to beat if Trump doesn’t go nuclear on him, and Nikki needs something to keep her in the spotlight.
Of the 6 Republicans in the House, Norman is the worst; Mace is just an attention-seeking joke.

[mwooldri]

13. If previous history repeats itself....

... And assuming that there are federal elections in 2026.... then history favors the Democratic Party in 2026.

Also depends on which people wanting higher office. If a Dem in a very safe seat ... Go for it. A Dem in a marginal - I'd try and encourage them to hang on as fortune favors the incumbent.

As for Republicans.... It's a mid term. They will face headwinds no matter how good/bad a campaign either party runs. It's either a blue wave or a blue ripple.... at worst for Democrats it'll be a red ripple (assuming history plays out as it has in the past).

Of course we have one big orange unknown. I can't predict that.

[jvill]

23. Trump represents so many exceptions to so many rules, take this conventional wisdom with a softball-size grain of salt.

...

[OrlandoDem2]

30. If Trump isn't on the ballot the LIV MAGAts don't show up.

See 2018 and 2022.

[Cheezoholic]

17. Pros and Cons to longer legislative terms....

Pros:
1. Give legislators time to actually legislate instead of being in a perpetual campaign and constantly be on the take for campaign donations

Cons:
1. MTG

[Initech]

19. Oh god, don't give Nancy Mace any more power.

That woman is as much of a vile, toxic nightmare as Marjorie Shit For Brains is.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

20. Michael McCaul is NEVER going to be Governor of Texas

He’s not nearly extremist enough. Dan Patrick will probably succeed Greg Abbott. Eternal hell.

[Polybius]

25. I would tend to agree, but he's 74

The last two Governors of Texas have been three termers.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

36. But he's a Republican so age doesn't matter

[Polybius]

37. Well, I certainly think that Trump is too old

I just couldn't say it until July 21st. I guess a 76 year old first term Governor wouldn't be quite as bad, but he's not getting three terms. I hope.

[Hotler]

21. Every Democratic rep.that goes to the inauguration should be voted out. Showing up is normalizing fascism.

We should be a resistance movement, not their friends.

[Polybius]

26. Biden is showing up

Bill Clinton said he would go too if he gets an invite.

[Hotler]

27. Joe has already kissed the ring. I guess Bill is going to do when the wife can't see him do it.

[Polybius]

33. I'm curious to see if Harris goes

I haven't heard anything.

[working class]

35. YES

This was not a "normal" election and no one should treat it as such.

[Polybius]

24. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who has floated a run for governor, is also considering vying to replace Sen. Marco Rubio

Don't waste your time. It's Florida, and it's Redder than ever. Keep your valuable House seat please.

[ColinC]

32. Agreed. The House is far more important!

Minimizing Dem retirements would be the first step to retaking it in 2026... 🤞

[ColinC]

31. I think midterms usually signal a record number of retirements for the presidents party

Last edited Fri Nov 29, 2024, 11:17 AM - Edit history (1)

We'll have a better idea about that in a year or so