On Wednesday at noon, the 112th Congress will be sworn in, and a depressing number of Democrats will officially return to private life. Many, I hope, will run for office again, but for now their only title will be Citizen. Via Roll Call:
Defeated in general election
Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), 57, 3 terms
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), 50, 2 terms
John Adler (D-N.J.), 51, 1 term
Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.), 51, 2 terms
Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), 48, 3 terms
John Boccieri (D-Ohio), 41, 1 term
Rick Boucher (D-Va.), 64, 14 terms
Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), 65, 7 terms
Bobby Bright (D-Ala.), 58, 1 term
Christopher Carney (D-Pa.), 51, 2 terms
Travis Childers (D-Miss.), 52, 1 term
Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), 52, 1 term
Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.), 67, 4 terms
Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio), 44, 1 term
Chet Edwards (D-Texas), 58, 10 terms
Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.), 69, 7 terms
Bill Foster (D-Ill.), 55, 1 term
Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), 52, 1 term
John Hall (D-N.Y.), 62, 2 terms
Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), 52, 1 term
Phil Hare (D-Ill.), 61, 2 terms
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), 39, 3 terms
Baron Hill (D-Ind.), 57, 2 terms
Steve Kagen (D-Wis.), 60, 2 terms
Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.), 73, 13 terms
Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Ohio), 61, 1 term
Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), 60, 1 term
Ron Klein (D-Fla.), 53, 2 terms
Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.), 66, 1 term
Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), 42, 1 term
Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.), 42, 1 term
Betsy Markey (D-Colo.), 54, 1 term
Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), 62, 4 terms
Michael McMahon (D-N.Y.), 53, 1 term
Walt Minnick (D-Idaho), 68, 1 term
Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.), 70, 2 terms
Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), 37, 2 terms
Scott Murphy (D-N.Y.), 40, 1 term
Glenn Nye (D-Va.), 36, 1 term
James Oberstar (D-Minn.), 76, 18 terms
Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas), 72, 14 terms
Tom Perriello (D-Va.), 36, 1 term
Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.), 58, 9 terms
Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas), 63, 2nd term
John Salazar (D-Colo.), 57, 3 terms
Mark Schauer (D-Mich.), 49, 1 term
Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), 57, 2 terms
Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), 78, 17 terms
Zack Space (D-Ohio), 49, 2 terms
John Spratt (D-S.C.), 68, 14 terms
Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), 57, 10 terms
Harry Teague (D-N.M.), 61, 1 term
Dina Titus (D-Nev.), 60, 1 term
Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio), 67, 2 terms
Defeated in primaries
Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), 80, 5 terms
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), 65, 7 terms
Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), 67, 14 terms
Defeated in run for other office
Artur Davis (D-Ala.), 42, 4 terms
Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.), 52, 2 terms
Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), 59, 2 terms
Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), 44, 4 terms
Charlie Melancon (D-La.), 63, 3 terms
Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), 59, 2 terms
Did not seek election
Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), 54, 2 terms
Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), 66, 5 terms
Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), 67, 3 terms
Brian Baird (D-Wash.), 54, 6 terms
Marion Berry (D-Ark.), 68, 7 terms
Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), 69, 7 terms
Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), 61, 13 terms
Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), 43, 8 terms
Dennis Moore (D-Kan.), 65, 6 terms
David Obey (D-Wis.), 71, 21 terms
Vic Snyder (D-Ark.), 62, 7 terms
Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), 58, 9 terms
John Tanner (D-Tenn.), 65, 11 terms
Diane Watson (D-Calif.), 77, 5 terms
I want to say a word about one of the names on this list, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa), whom I've been proud to call my friend since the spring of 2005 when we were attorneys at the same firm. I still remember the lunch at which he asked me what I thought about the electoral politics of the 8th District, and we haven't stopped talking since. When Rep. Ellen Tauscher left Congress to become Undersecretary of State, Patrick took the baton and played the lead role in the House in getting Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed.
He didn't care that he was in a vulnerable district and probably shouldn't be taking such a progressive leadership role -- he knew as an Iraq War veteran and as a former West Point professor of constitutional law that the policy was wrong, that it needed to end, and that he was the best person to make that public case. It made him a target, and helped cost him his seat. But few Members get even one victory like that in their careers -- and certainly not within two terms -- and I know that he leaves Washington with no regrets, and will find some way to serve the public again in the future.