Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2024 and will retire at the end of his current term.
The 76-year-old, four-term Democrat senator made the announcement during a press conference in Wilmington on Monday, leaving the seat open for a potentially crowded primary for the safe Democrat seat during a presidential election year.
“After a good deal of prayer and introspection and more than a few heart-to-heart conversations, we decided I should do neither,” Carper said at the press conference, referring to if he should run in 2024 for a fifth term and then “rid[e] off into the sunset.” “But rather, I should run through the tape in the next 20 months and finish the important work that my staff and I have begun on a wide range of fronts.”
Carper joins the growing list of Democrat senators retiring after their current term, such as Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Ben Cardin (D-MD).
The Hill noted that one of the favorites to run to replace Carper is Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), who worked for the senator when he was in the House and has already indicated she is interested in the seat.
“If the seat was open, I would definitely consider it,” she told Politico earlier this year. The congresswoman noted that she would focus on her work in the House but would “be prepared for whatever comes.”
Twenty-three of the 33 Senate seats that are up for reelection in 2024 are currently held by Democrats or left-leaning independents. However, with the Senate closely divided, the Democrats will still need to ensure no more than two seats flip.
National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Tate Mitchell put out a statement regarding Carper’s retirement, stating, “Senate Democrats keep retiring because they know they are going to lose the majority.”
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.