Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the longest-serving Democrat in Congress and one of the oldest members, said he plans to retire rather than run for another term.
Hoyer gave a speech on the House floor on Jan. 8, announcing his retirement after almost six decades in public service, including more than 40 years in the House.
“Shakespeare advised us all this, above all else, to thine own self be true, and it must follow as night to day, thou canst not be false to any man or to any woman,” said Hoyer.
“In that vein, Mr. Speaker, I have decided not to seek another term in the People’s House.
“I make this decision with sadness, for I love this House, an institution the framers designed to reflect the will of the American people and to serve as the guardian of their liberty and their democracy.”
Hoyer warned that “America is heading not toward greatness, but toward smallness, pettiness, divisiveness, longness, and disdainfulness.”
Hoyer has served in the House since 1981, after winning a special election. He climbed the ranks and eventually became the No. 2 Democrat, serving for years as majority leader while Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had the top post, including from 2019 to 2023.
“I would have loved to have been speaker,” Hoyer told the Post. “Who wouldn’t love to be speaker? But they’re not deep regrets.”
Pelosi, 85, has already announced she will not run for reelection. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), 85, who was part of the leadership team during that time, has not yet said whether he will run in the 2026 midterm election.
Dozens of other members have said they are retiring at the end of their terms, including Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), 78, and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), 80.
Hoyer won reelection in 2024 with 67.8 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Michelle Talkington.
He represents Maryland’s Fifth Congressional District, which spans from Fort Meade down to Piney Point and covers Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, as well as portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. It is located near the District of Columbia and has about 805,000 residents.
During Hoyer’s time in office, he has prioritized creating and maintaining jobs in his district, including through funding federal facilities such as NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He has also worked on environmental legislation, including the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act, and helped pass the Affordable Care Act, which significantly changed the health care system in the United States.
