Historic Turnover Marks Unprecedented Congressional Primary Season

WHO:

NPR - 99 lawmakers will not return to their seats next year, including 83 in the House and 16 in the Senate.

NPR - Notable retirements include California Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell.

NPR - Six lawmakers died: Democratic Reps. Sylvester Turner (Texas), Raúl Grijalva (Arizona), Gerry Connolly (Virginia), David Scott (Georgia), Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa (California), and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina).

NPR - Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw was the first incumbent to be defeated in the primaries.

NPR - Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow won the primary against Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.

WHAT:

NPR - 13 senators and 60 House representatives have announced plans to retire or run for a different office.

NPR - 16 total across the two chambers died or resigned from office, and 13 incumbents were defeated in their primaries.

Pew Research - 74 House members will not return next Congress, marking the greatest preelection turnover since 1992.

NPR - More than 30 members of Congress sought different jobs, with just over half winning their primaries.

WHERE:

NPR - Louisiana's House primaries were delayed to Nov. 3 due to congressional redistricting.

NPR - New York's primary on June 23 saw Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Rep. Dan Goldman ousted.

NPR - Michigan's Aug. 4 primary resulted in Rep. Shri Thanedar being unseated.

WHEN:

NPR - Louisiana's House primaries are scheduled for Nov. 3.

NPR - Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his primary on May 16.

NPR - New York's primary occurred on June 23.

NPR - Michigan's primary took place on Aug. 4.

WHY:

NPR - The record number of retirements is driven by the incumbent Trump administration's unpopularity and a push for younger lawmakers by Democratic voters.

NPR - An unusually high number of lawmakers have run for Senate, governor, and other races, leading to many defeats in the primaries.

HOW:

NPR - The primary season led to notable changes through a combination of last-minute redistricting changes, a push for generational change, and Trump-backed challengers.

(UPDATED September 16, 2026 22:04 UTC)

A significant shift is underway in Congress, as 99 lawmakers, including 83 from the House and 16 from the Senate, will not be returning next year, with notable retirements from figures like Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell. Additionally, the primary season has seen an unusually high number of incumbents defeated, with Trump-backed candidates making notable gains, including Julia Letlow's victory against Bill Cassidy in Louisiana. As a result of these changes, Louisiana's House primaries have been rescheduled for November 3, reflecting the ongoing impact of redistricting and a demand for generational change among voters.