The Green Papers
Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats
at the time of the 2015 General Election


Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats...
Open (incumbent not running for re-election)
No incumbent running
Uncontested (one candidate running)
Multiple incumbents running


 
IncumbentPartyOfficeReason for not seeking re-election
Alabama
Governor Robert J. BentleyRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Arizona
Congressman Ann Leila KirkpatrickDemocraticHouse CD 1Open Seat. 26 May 2015: Announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
California
Senator Barbara BoxerDemocraticSenate Class 3Open Seat. Open Seat - 8 January 2015: Announced she will not run for re-election.
Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr.DemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Congressman Sam FarrDemocraticHouse CD 20Open Seat. 12 November 2015: Announced retirement.
Congressman Lois G. CappsDemocraticHouse CD 24Open Seat. 8 April 2015: Announced retirement.
Congressman Janice HahnDemocraticHouse CD 44Open Seat. 18 February 2015: Running for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2016.
Congressman Loretta SanchezDemocraticHouse CD 46Open Seat. 12 May 2015: Running for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
Colorado
Governor John W. HickenlooperDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Delaware
Governor Jack A. MarkellDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Congressman John Charles Carney, Jr.DemocraticHouse At-LargeOpen Seat. 16 September 2015: Announced he will run for Governor in 2016.
Florida
Senator Marco RubioRepublicanSenate Class 3Open Seat. 13 April 2015: Announced he will run for President in 2016. He will not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate.
Governor Richard L. "Rick" ScottRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Congressman Ronald D. "Ron" DeSantisRepublicanHouse CD 6Open Seat. 13 April 2015: Running for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
Congressman Alan Mark GraysonDemocraticHouse CD 9Open Seat. 9 July 2015: Announced he is running for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
Congressman Richard B. "Rich" NugentRepublicanHouse CD 11Open Seat. 2 November 2015: Announced retirement.
Congressman David W. JollyRepublicanHouse CD 13Open Seat. 20 July 2015: Announced he is running for the Class 3 Senate Seat in 2016.
Congressman Patrick Erin MurphyDemocraticHouse CD 18Open Seat. 23 March 2015: Announced run for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Georgia
Governor John Nathan "Nathan" DealRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Illinois
Congressman L. Tammy DuckworthDemocraticHouse CD 8Open Seat. 27 March 2015: Running for US Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
Indiana
Senator Daniel Ray "Dan" CoatsRepublicanSenate Class 3Open Seat. 24 March 2015: Announced that he will not run for re-election.
Congressman Marlin A. StutzmanRepublicanHouse CD 3Open Seat. 9 May 2015: Declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate Class 3 seat.
Congressman Todd Christopher YoungRepublicanHouse CD 9Open Seat. 12 July 2015: Announced his candidacy for the Class 3 U.S. Senate seat.
Kentucky
Governor Steven L. "Steve" BeshearDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit. At Term Limit
Congressman Wayne Edward "Ed" WhitfieldRepublicanHouse CD 1Open Seat. 29 September 2015: Announced he will not run for re-election.
Louisiana
Senator David B. VitterRepublicanSenate Class 3Open Seat. 21 January 2014: Announced he will run for Governor in 2015.
21 November 2015: Announced retirement after losing Governor's contest.
Governor Piyush "Bobby" JindalRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit. At Term Limit
Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr.RepublicanHouse CD 3Open Seat. 23 November 2015: Candidate for the U.S. Senate Class 3 seat in 2016.
Congressman John Calvin Fleming, Jr.RepublicanHouse CD 4Open Seat. 23 November 2015: Candidate for the U.S. Senate Class 3 seat in 2016.
Maine
Governor Paul R. LePageRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Maryland
Senator Barbara A. MikulskiDemocraticSenate Class 3Open Seat. 2 March 2015: Announced retirement
Congressman Donna Fern EdwardsDemocraticHouse CD 4Open Seat. 10 March 2015: Announced candidacy for the U.S. Senate Class 3 seat in 2016.
Congressman Christopher "Chris" Van Hollen, Jr.DemocraticHouse CD 8Open Seat. 4 March 2015: Candidate for Senate Class 3 in 2016.
Michigan
Governor Rick SnyderRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Congressman Daniel J. "Dan" BenishekRepublicanHouse CD 1Open Seat. 15 September 2015: Announced that he would not seek re-election cited his 2010 pledge to only serve 3 terms.
Congressman Candice S. MillerRepublicanHouse CD 10Open Seat. 5 March 2015: Announced retirement.
Minnesota
Congressman John Paul Kline, Jr.RepublicanHouse CD 2Open Seat. 3 September 2015: Not seeking re-election.
Missouri
Governor Jeremiah W. "Jay" NixonDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit. At term limit.
Nevada
Senator Harry Mason ReidDemocraticSenate Class 3Open Seat. 27 March 2015: Will not seek re-election in 2016.
Governor Brian E. SandovalRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Congressman Joseph John "Joe" HeckRepublicanHouse CD 3Open Seat. 6 July 2015: Running for Class 3 Senate Seat in 2016.
New Hampshire
Governor Maggie HassanDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. 5 October 2015: Candidate for the U.S. Senate Class 3 Seat in 2016.
New Jersey
Governor Christopher J. "Chris" ChristieRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit. At term limit
New Mexico
Governor Susana MartinezRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
New York
Congressman Charles B. "Charlie" RangelDemocraticHouse CD 13Open Seat. January 2015: Media reports indicate Congressman Rangel will not seek re-election.
Congressman Christopher Patrick "Chris" GibsonRepublicanHouse CD 19Open Seat. 6 January 2015: Announced retirement. "I thank the voters ... for this privilege to serve and pledge ... to work tirelessly on their behalf in this final term." Mr. Gibson may run for a statewide office in 2018.
North Dakota
Governor Jack DalrympleRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. 24 August 2015: Governor Jack Dalrymple announces he will not run for re-election.
Ohio
Governor John Richard KasichRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Congressman John Andrew BoehnerRepublicanHouse CD 8Vacant Office. 25 September 2015: Announced he will resign 30 October. Governor John Richard Kasich (Republican) will call a special primary and election to fill the vacant seat.
30 October 2015: Resigned.
Oklahoma
Governor Mary C. FallinRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Pennsylvania
Congressman Michael G. "Mike" FitzpatrickRepublicanHouse CD 8Open Seat. 6 November 2014: Announced he would retire at the end of his newly elected term-(that is, circa January 2017).
Congressman Joseph R. "Joe" PittsRepublicanHouse CD 16Open Seat. 6 November 2015: Announced retirement.
South Carolina
Governor Nikki Randhawa HaleyRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
South Dakota
Governor Dennis M. DaugaardRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Tennessee
Governor William "Bill" HaslamRepublicanGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Texas
Congressman Rubén E. HinojosaDemocraticHouse CD 15Open Seat. 13 November 2016: Announced retirement.
Congressman Randy NeugebauerRepublicanHouse CD 19Open Seat. 17 September 2015: Announced retirement.
Vermont
Governor Peter ShumlinDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. 8 June 2015: "I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for a fourth term in 2016."
Virginia
Governor Terry McAuliffeDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
West Virginia
Governor Earl Ray TomblinDemocraticGovernorOpen Chair. Term Limit
Wyoming
Congressman Cynthia Marie LummisRepublicanHouse At-LargeOpen Seat. 12 November 2016: Announced retirement.
 
 
Tally
OfficeReason for Open Chair or Seat
Term LimitVoluntaryVacantTotal
GovernorRepublican141015
Democratic7209
CongressmanDemocratic013013
Republican017118
SenatorDemocratic0303
Republican0303
Totals2139161
 
 

Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

 


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