Top Red State Democrat Retires Ahead of 2022 Midterms

Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, announced his retirement Tuesday.

POLITICO reports:

Yarmuth, the sole Democrat in Kentucky’s delegation, said he will step aside to spend more time with family. He will be 75 years old when his term ends in January 2023. He’s the fifth House Democrat to announce his retirement ahead of what is expected to be a brutal midterm election for the party.

“The truth be told, I never expected to be in Congress this long,” Yarmuth said in a video posted on his Twitter account. “Candidly, I have found new and incomparable joy in spending time with my young grandson.

Yarmuth was first elected to represent Kentucky’s 3rd congressional district, located in Jefferson County and encompassing the majority of the Louisville metropolitan area, in 2006.

His seat, however, could become significantly more competitive as the GOP-controlled Kentucky legislature redraws the state’s congressional districts in anticipation of a red wave in the coming midterm elections. Yarmuth, whose district voted for Biden by a 60-38 margin, ran the risk of being drawn into a district significantly less favorable for Democrats.

Yarmuth joins several other swing district Democrats who have retired ahead of prospective uphill battles to retain their seats, including Reps. Ron Kind of Wisconsin, Cheri Bustos of Illinois, Tim Ryan of Ohio, Charlie Crist of Florida, and Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania. All but Kind and Bustos have opted to ditch their hypercompetitive House seats to run for higher office.