| The 119th Congress is witnessing a historic GOP retreat. With 35 House Republicans now officially calling it quits, the GOP has surpassed the 2018 retirement record, a cycle that famously saw Democrats flip 41 seats.
The milestone was reached late Friday night when Rep. Darrell Issa officially headed for the exits following weeks of speculation. The internal chaos has become so palpable that another California Republican even defected from the party entirely, citing the fallout from Trump’s unprecedented gerrymandering scheme that is falling flat in Texas and across the country.
A significant portion of these vacancies are in high-stakes battleground districts. Democrats have already set their sights on several of these now-open seats, including: AZ-01, CA-48, IA-02, KY-06, MI-10, MT-01, NE-02, and SC-01.Â
Punchbowl News reports:
  As filing deadlines approach, the DCCC is closely watching what Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) and Rob Wittman (VA-01) do next.Â
DCCC Spokesperson Justin Chermol:
“Republicans know they are going to lose in November. By retiring now, they’re avoiding the inevitable humiliation of losing their seats – and gavels. Good riddance.”
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