Democrat Reps. Mike Doyle and David Price announce retirement as Dems face fragile majority in 2022

Democrat Reps. David Price of North Carolina and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania announced that they will not seek reelection in 2022, making them the two latest Democrats to retire from Congress as their party tries to hold onto a slim majority in 2022. 

"I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election as representative for North Carolina’s Fourth Congressional District," Price said in a statement. "I do so with a profound sense of gratitude to the voters of the Fourth District; to the supporters who have backed me in 18 successive campaigns; and to my staff in Washington and the district, whose competence and dedication are responsible for the quality of representation and service I have been able to provide."

Price added: "So while it is time for me to retire, it is no time to flag in our efforts to secure a ‘more perfect union’ and to protect and expand our democracy… promise, in the fifteen months remaining and beyond, to continue fighting for the just and inclusive country we believe in."

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Doyle announced that he will step down in an address he delivered at the top of the 1 p.m. hour. 

"I stood by the people of Pittsburgh and they stood by me, sending me back to represent them 13 additional terms, and I have no doubt they would do it again if today I was announcing my intention to seek re-election in 2022," he said. "But I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation, so I’ve called you here today to announce that I will not be a candidate for Congress in 2022 and plan to retire at the end of my current term."

Doyle added: "It is my goal to "run through the finish line" as I still have 14 months left on my term.  I will be in Washington, DC, tomorrow pushing to get the infrastructure bill and our ‘Build Back Better’ plan passed because the people I am privileged to represent will benefit greatly from their passage."

Both Doyle, who represents the Pittsburgh area, and Price, who represents the Durham, N.C., area, have easily won reelection in their blue-leaning districts in recent years. But without their guaranteed presence, Democrats' slim majority in the House becomes increasingly fragile. 

The two new retirements follow an announcement from House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., last week that he will retire as well. 

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"It is a dream come true to be in this position and I've never lost that sense of amazement," Price told WRAL about his years working as a congressman in the U.S. Capitol, in an interview about his retirement. 

Price is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and is the chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee. 

Price was a professor at Duke University before entering Congress. He was first elected in 1986 and served until 1995. He was elected again in North Carolina's 4th Congressional District in 1997, and has served continuously since then. The district represents Durham, N.C., and borders Virginia. 

Doyle is the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. 

"For more than 26 years, my dear friend Congressman Mike Doyle has worked tirelessly to serve Pittsburgh in the United States Congress — standing up for workers, for seniors, and for everyone in our Pittsburgh community," Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills said Monday afternoon. "He has represented us with pride, integrity, and a commitment to public good above all else."