WASHINGTON — The exodus of House Democrats leaving their seats ahead of a challenging midterm election season continued Tuesday, with Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin and California Rep. Jerry McNerney announcing retirement plans within minutes of each other.
The decisions by Langevin and McNerney bring the number of House Democrats retiring after this term to 20, with eight more running for other offices. On the GOP side, 13 members are either retiring or running for other offices.
Langevin, 57, who was first elected in 2000, has served over two decades in the House. He has become recognized as a national leader on cybersecurity. He is the second ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee and the third ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee.
In a letter published in The Providence Journal, Langevin said it was time to “chart a new course” that would allow him to stay closer to friends and family.
Among his proudest moments in Congress, Langevin cited his vote in support of former President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care overhaul, which he called “the most significant piece of legislation I ever supported.” He also said he would “always cherish the moment” he became the first congressman using a wheelchair to preside over the House as Speaker Pro Tempore to mark the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
McNerney, 70, was first elected in 2006. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rated the race for his 9th District seat as Solid Democratic under the new congressional map approved by California’s independent redistricting commission in December. Under the new map, the district would have voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump, 55 percent to 43 percent.
Candidates who want to seek McNerney’s seat have until March 11 to file to run in the June 7 primary. Rhode Island’s filing deadline is June 29 for the Sept. 13 primary.
