5th GOP Senator Says He'll Retire

Roy Blunt on Monday became the fifth Republican senator to announce that he's calling it quits. The 71-year-old Missouri lawmaker said in a tweeted video that he will not seek reelection in 2022. Axios notes that Blunt is the fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate, and it ticks off the previous four GOP senators to announce their pending retirement: Richard Shelby of Alabama, Rob Portman of Ohio, Richard Burr of North Carolina, and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Blunt was elected to the Senate in 2010, and prior to that he served as House GOP whip, notes Politico.

"After 14 general election victories—three to county office, seven to the United States House of Representatives, and four statewide elections—I won't be a candidate for reelection to the United States Senate next year," Blunt said in his statement, per the Washington Post. He vowed to his constituents that he would "finish strong." The Post notes that Blunt didn't explicitly state his reason for stepping down. (More Roy Blunt stories.)