By Annie Grayer, Molly English, Alex Leeds Matthews, CNN
(CNN) — Congressional Republicans have yet to break the record for most retirements in a single year, but some say it’s only a matter of time before widespread frustration with the current state of Washington leads to a tipping point as many in the party head for the exits.
The 10 House Republicans seeking gubernatorial offices in their states this election cycle is the most who have run from either party in the available data compiled by CNN dating back to 1974. From Arizona to Florida to South Carolina, an increasing number of GOP lawmakers feel like they can better implement President Donald Trump’s agenda at the state level than as part of a narrow majority in Congress.
“I just think that I’ll have more impact as a chief executive versus being a legislator,” Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor of Wisconsin, told CNN. “The basic question is where can I do the most good for the people in the state of Wisconsin? And I believe that it is as governor.”
While most Republicans departing Congress leave behind them safe seats that will be easy for their party to fill, the departures underscore the broader discontent that members say comes with the job – from gridlock that makes it difficult to pass legislation to security threats they and their families face from being in the public eye.
Rep. Michael McCaul — who is retiring after two decades in the House, where he has served as chairman of the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees — told CNN that Congress has changed for the worse over his tenure.
“The level of partisanship, rancor, vitriolic debate, demonizing the other side of the aisle, not willing to work across the aisle to get good things done for the American people, and just the overall toxic environment. And then we are chained to the floor here on votes that will never become law in a lot of cases,” the Texas Republican said.
Another GOP lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, went even further to describe how the dysfunction of Washington makes it impossible to get simple things accomplished.
“It’s historic to be there. It’s an amazing honor. But boy, they suck a lot of the life out of you sometimes,” the lawmaker said. “For some people, it’s like, what am I doing this for?”
Exits by the numbers
The GOP started the year with momentum after Trump won the White House and the party took control of both chambers of Congress. Over the summer, Republicans came together to enact a sweeping agenda bill, securing a signature legislative achievement for the president.
But as the year comes to a close, many Republicans are not seeking re-election in Washington. And while the GOP controls both chambers of Congress now, some within the party are worried that might not be the case after the 2026 midterm elections.
Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson is confident that his party will hold onto the lower chamber in next year’s midterms.
“I’m very, very bullish about the midterms. I know that we are going to win because we have a great record to run on,” the Louisiana Republican said on December 11.
Asked what’s leading Republicans to retire from Congress, Johnson said on December 3, “These are not easy times. There are a lot of challenges for the country. And we’re doing it in an environment, where you have one of the smallest margins possible, smallest margins in history. And so, it creates frictions sometimes, and everybody has different ideas, and as I say every day, I’m in the consensus building business.”
“Everybody’s not delighted with every decision every day. But that’s, that’s Congress. That’s the way the system works,” he added.
Spike in governor bids
At least 14 lawmakers so far, the majority of whom are Republican, have launched bids fo