Two more Democrats have announced their plans to retire and not seek re-election in the 2022 midterms, potentially shrinking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) already slim majority.
Reps. David Prince (D-NC) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) are set to retire from Congress, the pair said this week.
Doyle and Prince “have easily won reelection in their blue-leaning districts in recent years,” Fox News noted, “But without their guaranteed presence, Democrats’ slim majority in the House becomes increasingly fragile.”
“I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election as representative for North Carolina’s Fourth Congressional District,” said a statement from Prince, who represents the Durham area. “I do so with a profound sense of gratitude to the voters of the Fourth District; to the supporters who have backed me in 18 successive campaigns; and to my staff in Washington and the district, whose competence and dedication are responsible for the quality of representation and service I have been able to provide.”
“So while it is time for me to retire, it is no time to flag in our efforts to secure a ‘more perfect union’ and to protect and expand our democracy … promise, in the fifteen months remaining and beyond, to continue fighting for the just and inclusive country we believe in,” the Democrat added.
Doyle, who represents the Pittsburgh area, is retiring after serving more than a dozen terms.
“I stood by the people of Pittsburgh and they stood by me, sending me back to represent them 13 additional terms, and I have no doubt they would do it again if today I was announcing my intention to seek re-election in 2022,” the Democrat said. “But I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation, so I’ve called you here today to announce that I will not be a candidate for Congress in 2022 and plan to retire at the end of my current term.”
“It is my goal to ‘run through the finish line,’ as I still have 14 months left on my term,” Doyle promised. “I will be in Washington, DC, tomorrow pushing to get the infrastructure bill and our ‘Build Back Better’ plan passed because the people I am privileged to represent will benefit greatly from their passage.”
Last week, House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) announced his retirement, too.
This month, speculation has grown surrounding a potential retirement from Pelosi — though the Democrat seemed to dismiss the rumors.
As highlighted by The Guardian, Pelosi said at a press conference last month that her “leadership” for the reconciliation bill “was a culmination of my service in Congress because it was about the children.”
This prompted a reporter to inquiry about Pelosi’s use of the work “culmination.” “Get out of here,” Pelosi seemed to dismiss the speculation.
“The exchange exemplified Pelosi’s other comments about her potential retirement: a hint, chased with a heavy dose of uncertainty,” The Guardian noted. “Despite her previous promises to fellow House Democrats, it remains unclear whether Pelosi will step down as speaker at the end of this term.”
This article has been revised for clarity.
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Source: Dailywire
