There seems to be a continuous wave of lawmakers heading out of Washington, D.C., and a popular Illinois democratic lawmaker is the latest to call it quits.

According to the Washington Examiner, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced this week that she will not run for reelection in 2026, making her the latest elder lawmaker to leave the Capitol. 

Schakowsky has served a staggering 14 terms in the House of Representatives.

Politico broke the story, reporting that the Illinois Democrat plans to formally announce her retirement on May 5 at her annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch, to be held in  Chicago.

What's going on?

Presumably, a large part of her decision to retire is the continued pressure from within the ranks of the Democratic Party for the "old guard" to step aside to make way for younger, fresher, and in many cases, more radically progressive successors.

Many younger Democrats, even social media influencers with massive followings, have called for a complete party shakeup following Kamala Harris' humiliating loss in November of last year.

BREAKING: Illinois Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky who has represented the 9th congressional district of Illinois since 1999, won’t seek reelection according to Politico.

This is the second Democrat from Illinois this week who reportedly won’t seek reelection. https://t.co/a8Xsp8B62L pic.twitter.com/Ars1rFlYLV

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 24, 2025

Schakowsky might not be a household name on a national level, but in Illinois, she's a heavy hitter and a major Democratic player.

The outlet noted:

Schakowsky defeated Gov. JB Pritzker in the 1998 primary elections after serving eight years in the state legislature. A longtime ally of former Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Schakowsky served on the commission for the 2010 Bowles-Simpson budget plan, which aimed to address the federal deficit and Social Security insolvency. Schakowsky also played a major role in drafting former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.

She's a powerful voice on the Energy and Commerce Committee and a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which has publicly called for the party's elders to step aside for fresh, young blood to take over.

Social media reacts

Users across social media weighed in on her retirement announcement.

"Its a shame that Illinois will put another Democrat in her place," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "We need term limits. This woman has been nothing but useless in Congress."

It'll be interesting to see how radical her successor is.