WASHINGTON - February 11, 2010 - For months, news organizations have been making hay of the slew of Democrat retirements from the U.S. House of Representatives, and the bad news it represents for the party.
But with Thursday's announcement that Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (D-Fla.) will not seek re-election in his Miami-area district, evidence is growing that this conventional wisdom is unfounded. The number of Republicans not running for re-election to the House now amounts to more than 10% of the House Republican caucus, compared to less than five percent for Democrats.
Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post notes that the total number of House Republicans set to retire or seek other office is now 18, or slightly more than 10 percent of the 178 seats the GOP holds in the House.
By comparison, Roll Call's list of departing lawmakers shows that only 12 House Democrats are retiring, or slightly less than five percent of the Democrats' 255 seats.
The numbers are a little more even in the Senate, where five Republicans - Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Jim Bunning (R-Kent.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) - are retiring or seeking other office.
But with Thursday's announcement that Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (D-Fla.) will not seek re-election in his Miami-area district, evidence is growing that this conventional wisdom is unfounded. The number of Republicans not running for re-election to the House now amounts to more than 10% of the House Republican caucus, compared to less than five percent for Democrats.
Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post notes that the total number of House Republicans set to retire or seek other office is now 18, or slightly more than 10 percent of the 178 seats the GOP holds in the House.
By comparison, Roll Call's list of departing lawmakers shows that only 12 House Democrats are retiring, or slightly less than five percent of the Democrats' 255 seats.
The numbers are a little more even in the Senate, where five Republicans - Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Jim Bunning (R-Kent.), Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) - are retiring or seeking other office.