Overview
- CNN’s data back to 1974 shows ten House Republicans now running for governor in 2026, the highest on record for either party.
- NPR’s tracker counts 55 members planning exits or new bids for 2026, including 11 senators and 44 representatives, with 27 retiring outright.
- Senior Texas Republican Michael McCaul is retiring after two decades in the House, citing escalating partisanship and an overall toxic environment.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged strains from the GOP’s razor-thin majority but said he remains very bullish about the midterms.
- Three senators have announced gubernatorial campaigns this cycle, two may leave their Senate terms early to run, and GOP fields feature intra-party contests in states such as South Carolina and Arizona.