Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives in 2024, joining a long list of congressional lawmakers leaving office at the end of the year.
“When I was first elected to Congress in 2012, I promised to bring a new approach to Washington. Over the past 12 years, I have been proud to do just that,” New Hampshire’s Second District representative said in a statement.
“As I look to the future, I am excited by the work and opportunities that lie ahead,” she added. “We all have a role to play in standing up for what we believe in, advocating for a better future, and pursuing the change that we want to see. I always said I was not going to stay in Congress forever — I will not be seeking re-election in 2024.
Kuster, 67, noted that she intends to serve out the rest of her term, which ends in January 2025, and will use her remaining time in Congress to “build on the progress we have made and finish the job for the American people.”
“I will continue to lead the New Democrat Coalition to help pass comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to move our country forward.”
“It’s the honor of my life to represent my home and my community, bringing our Granite State values and the voices of New Hampshire’s Second District to Congress,” she added. “Onward!”
While New Hampshire is considered a swing state, with Granite State voters having elected a Republican governor the same year the state went to Joe Biden in the presidential election, the GOP candidate for Kuster’s seat will face an uphill climb.
Her district is rated “likely Democrat” according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, and went for Biden over Donald Trump in 2020 by 9 percentage points.
Kuster is the 42nd member of the House of Representative to announce they are not seeking re-election in 2024, and the 23rd Democrat.
A number of other congressional representatives have already left office early or plan to step down before the November elections, including Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), and former Reps. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and George Santos (R-NY).
Gallagher’s expected April 19 departure from the House will leave the GOP with only a 217-213 majority in the lower chamber, meaning House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) can only afford to lose one Republican member on any particular vote if Democrats vote along party lines.
Under Wisconsin law, Gallagher’s seat cannot be filled until after the November election if the lawmaker follows through with his resignation timeline. Had he chosen to resign prior to the second Tuesday in April, the state would have been able hold a special election to fill his vacant seat.
Republicans held a 222-213 majority after the 2022 midterm elections.
