Hoyer to run for reelection, ending retirement speculation

Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer (Md.) will run for reelection this year, ending speculation over a potential retirement for the Capitol Hill veteran.

In a statement Monday, the 84-year-old Hoyer pointed to the “partisanship,” “polarization,” and Republicans’ “intra-party divisions” in Congress, along with the high stakes of this year’s election.

“Given these stakes, I believe I have more work to complete on behalf of my district, my state, and my country. I am blessed to have the good health, strength, and enduring passion necessary to continue serving my constituents at this decisive moment for Maryland and America,” Hoyer said.

He said he would seek another term “to advance these important priorities” and noted he consulted with his family, congressional colleagues and constituents on the decision.

Hoyer has served Maryland for nearly 43 years and in a variety of leadership roles in the House over the decades. He stepped down as House majority leader in 2022, alongside then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who also decided not to seek another leadership position.

When announcing that decision, Hoyer said that while he is proud of his work in leadership, it was time “for a new generation of leaders.”

He had served as the No. 2 House Democrat behind Pelosi since 2003, and his departure from leadership prompted speculation he may leave Congress as a whole.

Hoyer touched upon his departure from House leadership Monday, writing, “When I stepped down from my position as Majority Leader, I decided to remain in Congress because I had work I wanted to continue and complete.”

He said he looked forward to returning focused on the Appropriations Committee, including funding for the new FBI Headquarters in Greenbelt, Md., and work on other Maryland-based projects.

Hoyer said that beyond this work, he found Congress to be riddled with division.

“Unfortunately, beyond that, this Congress has been one of the most partisan and polarized in which I have served. As a result, it has been the least productive as well, with Republicans’ intra-party divisions blocking important progress for the American people,” he said, adding later that he believes Democrats will return to the majority in the next Congress.

Elected to the House in 1981, Hoyer serves Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as “solid Democrat,” with a score of D+15. He served as a state senator for Maryland before coming to Capitol Hill.

The lawmaker tied the knot last year with Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the director of its Center for Effective Public Management. His late wife and mother of his three children, Judy Hoyer, died of stomach cancer in 1997.

A number of House incumbents on both sides of the aisle have announced they are not running for reelection in 2024, with some choosing retirement and others vying for the Senate or other state leadership positions.