Democrats fear midterm shellacking as House retirements climb to 30-year high

The number of House Democrats retiring has reached a 30-year high as the party braces itself for a potential shellacking in the midterms. House Democrats are retiring in droves as the party struggles to hold onto its razor-thin majority in the lower chamber. Democrat representative Kathleen Rice announced she will not contest again – taking her party’s exodus tally to 30 for the 2022 cycle.