Two more House members announce they won't seek reelection, as Hill lawmakers exit at record pace

Two more House members announced this week that they will not seek reelection – Reps. Drew Ferguson, a Republican, and Wiley Nickel, a Democrat.

Ferguson, of Georgia, said he would not seek reelection to his safe GOP seat, according to Politico.

He served as chief deputy whip for Republicans from 2019 through 2023, and reportedly made an unsuccessful bid to become majority whip.

Nickel is a first-term House member from North Carolina whose district was redrawn by state Republican lawmakers, which diminished his changes of reelection. 

"Republicans have rigged the system to favor themselves, and I don’t have a path to run for reelection," said Nickel, who reportedly is considering a run in 2026 for the Senate seat held by North Carolina GOP Sen, Thom Tillis.

At least 40 members of Congress – seven senators and 33 House members – have so far said they will not seek reelection next year. Just in November, 13 senators and House members announced they wouldn’t run – the largest number to do so in a single month in over a decade, according to the website TruthOut.org.