Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the most outspoken advocates for digital assets in the current session of the US Congress, will leave office in 2027.
In a Friday X post, Lummis announced that she would not seek reelection to the Senate in 2026. She was elected to a six-year term and assumed office in January 2021, quickly establishing herself as a blockchain and Bitcoin-focused politician who later aligned with US President Donald Trump’s crypto agenda.
“Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me,” said Lummis. “I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon. The energy required doesn’t match up.”
The Wyoming senator is one of the key Republicans responsible for pushing lawmakers to consider the digital asset market structure bill. The legislation, which passed the House of Representatives in July, has been debated in the Senate Banking Committee, where Lummis holds a seat, as well as the Senate Agriculture Committee. However, the bill had not been scheduled for a floor vote before the chamber broke for the holidays.
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Cointelegraph reached out to Lummis’ office for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
2026 midterms to result in another crypto-focused Congress?
With Lummis set to leave the Senate, it’s unclear at the time of publication who might take her place. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate will be up for grabs in 2026, potentially allowing the Democrats to gain a majority in both chambers currently controlled by Republicans. Trump’s term ends in January 2029.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis reportedly expressed concern in October that pushing consideration of the market structure bill to 2026 could hamper progress due to the midterm elections.
Stand With Crypto, an advocacy organization behind rallying crypto users to vote, speculated that congressional votes for or against the market structure bill could be a deciding factor for voters next year.
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