Two Dems Retire From Congress After Speaker Drama
Two Democratic congressmen announced on Thursday they would not seek another congressional term in 2024, opening seats in Maryland and North Carolina. Rep. John Sarbanes (MD), who served 18 years in the chamber over the course of nine terms, said he plans to return to nonprofit work. “For some time now, I have found myself drawn back to that kind of work—wanting to explore the many opportunities to serve that exist outside of elected office,” he said in a statement. Rep. Jeff Jackson (NC) announced that he would instead run for state attorney general, a decision that comes in the wake of gerrymandering by North Carolina Republicans that all but guaranteed he would not have won re-election in his district. “I’m running for attorney general, and I’m going to use that job to go after political corruption,” he said in a video on Thursday.
I've officially been drawn out of my congressional district by a small group of politicians.
It’s blatant corruption, but I’ve got news for them:
I’m running for Attorney General, and I’m going to use that job to fight political corruption.
Join us: https://t.co/tb9ykB1pUH pic.twitter.com/nEcQnXEw5g— Rep. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) October 26, 2023