Mike Johnson's red alert on members quitting Congress [View all]

Members of the House of Representatives are quitting Congress at a record rate, with Republican retirements and resignations outpacing Democrats by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio in the first 11 months of the year.

Why it matters: In previous cycles, the party with more departures tends to lose seats — if not the majority.

Call it the congressional JOLTS rate. Like its BLS counterpart, a high reading for one party doesn't predict a House flip any more than a bad JOLTS number calls a recession.

But it's not a great sign for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who needs to worry that early GOP retirements could strip him of his gavel this year.



https://www.axios.com/2025/12/02/congress-retirements-mike-johnson-republicans