Democrats Doyle and Price Announce Retirement From Congress

Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and David Price (D-N. C.) plan to retire at the end of their term in 2022, adding more names to a growing list of Democratic retirees.

Doyle has been in the House of Representatives since he was first elected in 1994.

Doyle came in just as Democrats’ stranglehold on the lower chamber, which they had held since 1955, was slipping. Doyle was elected by constituents of Pennsylvania’s 18th district, a seat in Congress previously held by Republican Rick Santorum before mounting a successful Senate bid the same year, centered in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh—one of Democrats’ few achievements in the otherwise disappointing election.

Doyle has been returned to office every term since then, and he has often run unopposed or with little opposition. In the election of 2002, Doyle moved from the 18th district to the 14th; In 2019, he returned once again to eastern Pittsburgh’s suburbs.

Doyle thanked his constituents while making the announcement, saying, “I stood by the people of Pittsburgh and they stood by me, sending me back to represent them 13 additional terms.”

He continued, “I have no doubt they would do it again today if I were announcing my intention to seek reelection in 2022. But I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation.”

Doyle explained the decision: “The district deserves to hear from a robust field of candidates, and I want to make sure the potential candidates have enough time to fundraise and put their platform in front of the people of Pittsburgh.”

In Congress, Doyle sat on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and headed the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

He was also a member of several House caucuses, including the Congressional Arts Caucus, which lobbied for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Congressional Autism Caucus, the Congressional Steel Caucus, and Medicare for All, among a long list of others.

During his time in Congress, Doyle joined other Democrats in opposing any relaxation of the laws governing so-called assault weapons. In 2006, the NRA gave Doyle a zero percent score for gun rights support. Conversely, Doyle received a relatively high rating of 90 percent from gun control group the Brady Campaign.

On other issues, like abortion, Doyle has shown himself to be somewhat more moderate. When he came into office in 1995, the congressman opposed abortion altogether, a position which he reversed in the 2010s.

On the other hand, Doyle remained in favor of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibited abortions from receiving federal funding (cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life are an exception to the amendment’s rules). Doyle also supports using federal doll... (Read more)

Latest News