Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky, the chair of the House Budget Committee, announced Tuesday that he will forgo running for re-election.
Yarmuth, first elected in 2007 and the only Democrat in Kentucky’s congressional delegation, has been a central player in helping to craft President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget bill. His retirement comes just over a year before the 2022 midterms, a potentially difficult cycle for Democrats who seek to defend their slim House majority.
“It’s been an incredible journey since my first campaign in 2006 until now,” Yarmuth said. “I will continue to fight for Louisville in Washington for another 15 months, and then, I will retire from Congress.”
In an accompanying video, Yarmuth, 73, said that he never planned to stay in Congress for more than 10 years and that he wanted to spend more time with his family. (RELATED: Ron Kind Set To Retire In A Wisconsin District Trump Won Twice)
It’s been an incredible journey since my first campaign in 2006 until now. I will continue to fight for Louisville in Washington for another 15 months, and then, I will retire from Congress.
I will have plenty more to say in the months ahead but this is what I want you to know: pic.twitter.com/MXFmWrSTYv
— Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) October 12, 2021
Less than 10 minutes after Yarmuth’s announcement, state Sen. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky, the top Democrat in the Kentucky Senate, announced that he will attempt to succeed Yarmuth. Though Yarmuth’s Louisville seat votes overwhelmingly Democratic, the seat’s political lean could change after Kentucky finishes its redistricting process.
Yarmuth is one of a few high-profile Democrats to announce their retirements this cycle. Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin, whose district voted twice for former President Donald Trump, announced he would not run again, and weeks before him, Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania said the same, opting instead to enter into his state’s open Senate race.
Finally, Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois, former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in April that she, too, would forgo re-election.
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