GOP Retirements Hit Record Level Ahead Of Midterm Fight
Ahead of the 2018 midterms, a record number of House Republicans are heading for the exits — perhaps seeing the writing on the wall of a possible wave election.
There are now 30 Republicans who will not seek re-election in November: 18 who are retiring outright and another 12 who are are running for higher office. And that list is is expected to grow in the coming weeks.
The last time a party had nearly that many members retire during a midterm year was in 1994 when 28 Democrats left, and the GOP subsequently took back control of Congress in the Republican Revolution. Now, it's Republicans who find themselves in the opposite and unenviable position. Just one year into his term, President Trump has record low approval ratings, congressional Republicans have had few legislative achievements save for the tax overhaul they passed last month, and Democrats seem more fired up than ever to issue a rebuke to
