Stephanie Murphy Says She Won’t Seek Reelection In 2022

Florida Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy said Monday that she would not seek reelection in 2022.

Her coming retirement, first reported by Politico, is a blow to Democrats’ moderate wing; Murphy flipped an Orlando-based GOP seat in 2016 and rose to lead the centrist Blue Dog Coalition.

“It’s been a real honor for me to serve in Congress, but it does come at a personal sacrifice,” Murphy told Politico. “My time away has been hard on my family and my kids and on me.”

The third-term congresswoman, a member of the Jan. 6 Select Committee who was rumored to potentially challenge Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022, did not rule out a run for future office.

“We’ll have to see what happens in the future,” she said.

Murphy’s retirement makes her the 22nd House Democrat to not seek reelection. Her announcement comes as Democrats face a potentially difficult 2022 election cycle, with Republicans capitalizing on their opponents’ political headwinds as they try and flip a 221-213 House and a 50-50 Senate.

Her decision also comes as Republicans in Florida’s legislature debate how to change the state’s maps. While Murphy would have a clear path to reelection under the Florida state Senate’s proposal, the state House’s new map would torpedo her district.

“It wasn’t an easy decision for me,” Murphy told Politico. “But it was the right one for me personally.”