House Democrats Jim Langevin of Rhode Island and Jerry McNerney of California announced today that they will not seek reelection in 2022, bringing the number of Democrats leaving office to 28, compared to just 13 Republicans, not including members who have retired early, Politico reports.
The first paraplegic in Congress, Langevin is retiring after 22 years in the House. His announcement was unexpected because he had vowed to run for the House as recently as April 2021, even if Rhode Island would lose a House seat through redistricting. Rhode Island managed to hold on to both its House seats.
The 70-year-old McNerney is retiring after his district was redrawn as a majority-Hispanic district. The move is expected to promote the 9th District as a battleground in the Democratic primary, with Democrat Josh Harder, who represents the 10th District, shifting to the 9th.