Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) announced this week that she would not run for reelection in 2024, confirming months of speculation that she will retire at the end of her term.
Yet as the 2024 Senate field takes shape, several vulnerable or high-profile politicians have yet to announce their plans for the next election cycle.
Feinstein is the third senator who will retire at the end of the current session, along with Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Mike Braun (R-IN). Democrats have an uphill battle in 2024, with 23 seats up for election compared to 10 Republican-held seats.
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Here are the senators who have yet to announce their plans for 2024.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
Sinema recently announced her departure from the Democratic Party, in which she was often the black sheep in the conference. She still caucuses with Senate Democrats, but her move will insulate her from facing a difficult Democratic primary in Arizona should she choose to run for reelection.
The Democratic Party of Arizona censured Sinema for blocking a voting rights bill last year, so she likely won’t have much help from the state-level apparatus in a reelection bid. That may not be a problem since she’s already going into 2024 with a war chest of $8.2 million, and political watchers expect national Democrats to support her as the incumbent in the race. Progressive Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is running for her spot.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Manchin has also rankled his party by sticking to the conservative energy and environmental policies important to his West Virginia base. His state overwhelmingly voted for former President Donald Trump by nearly 40 points in 2020, making him one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection. However, he has $9.5 million in cash on hand for a campaign. Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) is already in the running, and Gov. Jim Justice (R) and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Manchin’s 2018 GOP opponent, are exploring bids.
Manchin has been evasive when asked if he will run again and has not ruled out a White House bid in 2024. Should he run for Senate, Justice would be his fiercest GOP competition, polling suggests.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
If he decides to run, Tester would also be running in a state that Trump won in 2020. The former president won Montana by about 6 points, but freshman Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) underperformed Trump’s margin in his 2022 election. Zinke and Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), who ran against Tester in 2018, are speculated to be the most likely challengers.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA)
Pennsylvania is fresh off a contentious Senate election that ended with Republicans losing a seat to Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). The state could be gearing up for another open Senate race if Casey, Pennsylvania’s senior senator, declines to run. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and has not said if he will seek reelection in 2024.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Sanders will be 82 if he wins reelection to another term, prompting speculation that he may retire at the end of 2024. However, he has the biggest cash pile of any incumbent senator, with $9.7 million stashed away for a campaign. He comfortably beat his GOP challenger by 40 points in 2018.
Democrats will have to defend seats in five states that President Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020: Nevada, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Several senators from these and other states have committed to running again, which will give the Democrats an incumbency advantage. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) will seek reelection.
Brown is running for a fourth term, though Ohio has trended more Republican since he was first elected in 2006. Republican J.D. Vance won Ohio’s open seat in November by a comfortable margin. Several Republicans have already announced bids, including Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan (R), Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), and businessman Bernie Moreno.
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Kaine saved his party a headache by committing to running again in a state where the last statewide election saw Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) win an upset victory. Rosen will run for a second term, but in a state Republicans heavily targeted in 2022. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) won reelection in Nevada by less than 1 point against GOP challenger Adam Laxalt.
In the open race in California, Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) will duke it out in a field that is expected to get more crowded in the coming weeks.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) jumped in early to the Senate race in barn-red Indiana and has already nabbed key endorsements.
