Election News

Overshadowed by Sen. Joe Manchin's retirement announcement, two U.S. House members also said Thursday they would not seek reelection next year. Reports also emerged about a pending resignation.

23 current House members, including 15 Democrats and eight Republicans, have now announced they are retiring or seeking another office. The list does not include Dean Phillips (MN-03), who is challenging Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination. If his campaign doesn't work out, he will likely have time to file for another term, should he wish to do so.

Derek Kilmer - Washington District 6

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced Thursday that he will not run for reelection. A Democratic Senator in one of the country's reddest states, the seat is highly likely to flip to the GOP next year. Given an already difficult map, this will further complicate Democratic efforts to hold the majority after 2024.

To the West Virginians who have put their trust in me and fought side by side to make our state better – it has been an honor of my life to serve you. Thank you. My statement on my political future: pic.twitter.com/dz8JuXAyTL

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) November 9, 2023

Shortly after Manchin's announcement, the Cook Political Report shifted its rating from Toss-up to Solid Republican.

Manchin, who won his seat in a 2010 special election, was reelected in 2012 and 2018. However, his margin of victory decreased from 24% to just 3% as the state continued to shift to the right. After Wyoming, the state gave Donald Trump his largest winning margin - roughly 40% - in both 2016 and 2020. 

A difficult reelection battle was looming if Manchin had run. The state's governor, Jim Justice, is currently the frontrunner for the GOP nomination and was leading Manchin in early polling.

For live results, use one of the links below.

Governor

Incumbents Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Tate Reeves (R-MS) won reelection.  Beshear overcame the deep-red lean of his state to defeat Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who had been endorsed by Donald Trump. Already one of the country's more popular governors, this will undoubtedly boost Beshear's national profile.

Reeves fended off a credible Democratic challenger in Brandon Presley, but Mississippi's partisan lean was too much for him to take out the incumbent. Reeves was able to clear 50% of the vote, avoiding a runoff.

Last month, Republican Jeff Landry was elected governor in Louisiana, flipping that seat from Democratic control. Once Landry is seated in January, there will be 27 Republican and 23 Democratic governors.  11 states hold gubernatorial elections in 2024.

Top Elections

This page covers the marquee races for Election Day, 2023 on Tuesday, November 7. Use the links below for full coverage.

It's an off-year but there are a number of elections drawing significant attention.

Voters in Kentucky and Mississippi will determine whether their respective governors get another four-year term. The two states are heavily Republican but the races are competitive.

Two Republicans have joined the list of those retiring from the U.S. House at the end of this term. Both districts are in conservative areas, and should remain with the GOP in next year's elections.

The list of departures is now at 21, including 14 Democrats and seven Republicans.

Ken Buck - Colorado District 4

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon's longest-tenured U.S. House member, will not seek reelection in 2024.

Blumenauer joined the House in 1996, winning a special election in Oregon's 3rd congressional district. He has been reelected 14 times, never with less than 65% of the vote. Blumenauer succeeded fellow Democrat Ron Wyden who had resigned after winning the special election for a vacant U.S. Senate seat. Wyden remains in office to this day.

Former Vice President Mike Pence concluded a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas Saturday with the announcement that he was ending his presidential campaign.

Per Politico, Pence said “The Bible tells us that there’s a time for every purpose under heaven. Traveling across the country over the past six months, I came here to say it’s become clear to me that it’s not my time. So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today."

Averaging 3.8% in recent polls, Pence saw between 3% and 6% support in most of the national Republican polls conducted in recent months. While that qualified him to appear in both GOP debates held thus far, his campaign was not gaining traction and was struggling with financial problems. His polling numbers in Iowa, where he had focused his campaign's efforts, had been even weaker than the national numbers.

Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes of Maryland announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection next year. In his statement, Sarbanes said he will complete the current term - his 9th - with an eye toward other forms of public service once he leaves Congress.

Sarbanes represents Maryland's 3rd congressional district. It includes much of the southern and western suburbs of Baltimore and extends to Annapolis. The district is safely Democratic; Sarbanes won his final term in 2022 by a 60% to 40% margin.

Three legislative special primaries are the final contests before Election Day on November 7. 

Alabama State House Districts 16 and 55 (Runoffs)

Republicans dominate the Alabama State House, holding 75 seats, to just 27 for Democrats. There are three vacancies. Members serve four-year terms; the next regular elections are in 2026. 

The newest member of the U.S. Senate, Democrat Laphonza Butler of California, said Thursday that she will not run for a full term in 2024. Butler was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month, following the death of longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

“I have spent my life working for working men and women whether I was fighting to win more pay for their labor, strengthen their communities or help them get elected. I’ve always believed elected leaders should have real clarity about why they’re in office and what they want to..

— Laphonza Butler (@LaphonzaB) October 19, 2023

A crowded field will compete in the state's all-party primary on March 5. The three Democratic frontrunners, who have been in the race for months, are U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (CA-12), Katie Porter (CA-47), and Adam Schiff (CA-30).  Republicans gained a prominent name last week, when former major league baseball player Steve Garvey announced he would run.

The top two finishers in the primary - regardless of party - will advance to the November general election.

Note that because of the timing of Butler's appointment, California law requires a special election to complete Feinstein's term. The dates will be the same: March 5 for the primary, November 5 for the general, but it will be a separate election on the ballot. The winner of that special election will serve for the last few weeks of the 118th congress.