Five GOP Senators announce retirement: 2022 Midterm goals up in the air for Republicans

By: Adam Beam 3/13/21

Photo Courtesy: Greg Nash, The Hill/Bloomberg/Getty Images

While CPAC made it seem like the GOP were set in their goals to regain control of Washington, those plans now face another upset as this week we now see the 5th GOP Senator announce their retirement.

Roy Blunt, senator from Missouri announced Monday that he would not be seeking re-election come 2022 for the midterm elections. Blunt, who has served in the United States Senate since 2011, has not yet given a reason to this sudden retirement, and many were surprised by Blunt's reveal since he was the most likely to win another term in the mostly Republican state.

As previously stated, Blunt is now the fifth Senator to announce their retirement, the other four being, North Carolina's Richard Burr, Ohio's Rob Portman, Alabama's Richard Shelby, and Pennsylvania's very own Pat Toomey.

While some states could easily be secured by the Republicans with new candidates, a state like Pennsylvania could be open for another Democrat to win a seat.

It should also be noted that there's a possible chance more GOP senators could back away from seeking re-election. When Wisconsin's Ron Johnson won his seat in the Senate he expressed that he would only serve two terms, and with that end approaching, many wonder if he'll change his mind in time for midterm elections.

Now with these retirements, the GOP's uphill battle to regaining majority in the House and Senate continues to steepen, and many wonder if the GOP can reach their goals as more hurdles enter their path.