Hoyer won't seek re-election, says House has strayed from founders' vision
Steny Hoyer announces retirement from Congress, joining former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in leaving office as the 86-year-old Democrat warns about House polarization.
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Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the former No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced his retirement on the House chamber floor on Thursday morning.
As he got up to address a crowd of his colleagues, the room broke out into applause.
"I stand here now, after some 60 years in public service," Hoyer said. "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."
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Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., during a hearing in Washington, D.C., May 15, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"I am deeply concerned that this House is not living up to the founders’ goals. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to examine their consciences, renew their courage and carry out the responsibilities that the First Article of the Constitution demands," Hoyer said.
Hoyer, 86, will leave Congress at the end of his term, which concludes in January 2027. His departure continues turnover among Democrats as several other senior figures in the party have also made plans to make 2026 their last year on Capitol Hill.
Most notably, Hoyer joins Pelosi, who will also not pursue re-election in the 2026 midterms. Of the three top Democrats who led the party in 2021, only one, Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., has not announced plans to retire.
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Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks during Nancy Pelosi in conversation with Katie Couric at 92NY on Oct. 24, 2024, in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Hoyer began his political career in the Maryland State Senate and served in that body from 1966 to 1979. From there, he became a member of the state's Board for Higher Education until he ran for Congress in 1980.
