Resignations in Congress

Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and Congressman John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) resigned facing pressure from the Democratic Party following allegations of sexual misconduct. 

Formerly representing Michigan’s 13th district, the 88-year-old Conyers was the longest-serving African-American representative in the history of the United States. Despite being widely considered a Congressional icon, Conyers was pressured to resign after sexual assault allegations from former employees surfaced condemning him.

A special election will take place to fill his seat, possibly with his own son, hedge fund manager John Conyers III, or his grand-nephew and Michigan senator Ian Conyers.

Franken, on the other hand, started his professional career in comedy and famously worked at “Saturday Night Live” as both a writer and performer. A liberal activist, Franken ran for Senate in 2008, winning by a narrow margin. Because of his humor and intelligence, some Democrats were hoping for his candidacy in the 2020 Presidential Election. But the Democratic party wanted to maintain a moral high ground considering the allegations against Moore and Trump—two names Franken mentioned in his resignation address.