Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), the vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced on Tuesday his retirement from Congress.

“Serving the people of Southwest Florida has been the honor of my lifetime,” Buchanan said in a written statement. “Every achievement worth doing began with listening to my constituents and fighting for their priorities. I came to Congress to solve problems, to fight for working families and to help ensure this country remains a place where opportunity is available to everyone willing to work for it. After 20 years of service, I believe it’s the right time to pass the torch and begin a new chapter in my life.”

Breitbart News reported in October 2023 that Buchanan, one of the 23 House Republicans to vote against Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) bid for Speaker of the House, bowled at the Biden White House in the midst of the Speakership voting.

Buchanan has become the latest lawmaker to announce his or her retirement from Congress. An Associated Press (AP) analysis found that ten percent of U.S. House lawmakers have announced they would not seek reelection as of January 17:

More than 10% of incumbents plan to leave, which is the highest percentage at this point in the calendar since at least President Barack Obama’s administration, according to an Associated Press analysis of House retirements going back to 2013.

Forty-seven current representatives — 21 Democrats and 26 Republicans — have announced they will retire from the House after this year, as of Wednesday. That total doesn’t include the nine members who resigned or died this term and whose seats will be filled before the November general election.

The AP noted that many Senate seats and governors’ offices are open and competitive, making it a compelling opportunity to run for higher office. Twenty-seven of the resigning lawmakers said they would seek another office; fourteen said they would run for Congress’s upper chamber and twelve would run for governor.

The outlet also found that many of those who are retiring are older, as the median age for a retiring senator is over 68 years old and the median retiring representative is 57 years old. Also, many states have changed the congressional maps, which changes the lawmakers’ political calculus for running again for office.