Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware Announces Retirement, Opening Up Key Senate Seat

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 9, 2021. Leigh Vogel-Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) announced on May 22 that he will not seek reelection for a fifth term in the Senate.

Carper’s declaration opens the door to a wide-open fight for the seat he has held since 2001 in Delaware, a state with a largely Democrat population.