Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack has formally conceded her reelection bid for California's 45th district, joining her husband -- also a House member -- in twin defeats that leave them without jobs in Congress.
Bono Mack had served in the House for 14 years, after winning the special election to replace her late husband Sonny Bono, in 1998. On Friday, she conceded the race to Raul Ruiz, an emergency room doctor, who benefited from a redrawn district with 40 percent Latino voters.
“After 25 years of public life in the beautiful desert, it is now time for me to start a new chapter in my life,” she said in a statement.
Rep. Connie Mack IV, R-Fla., lost his bid to unseat veteran Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Mack had served in the House since 2005.
Bono and Mack are not the only married couple to have served in Congress at the same time, though it is a rare occurrence. Democrats Martha Keys and Andrew Jacobs served together for two terms in the 1970s, and Republicans Susan Molinari and Bill Paxton held concurrent office during the mid-90s.
Mack and Bono will return to Congress for the lame-duck session. They have not announced their plans for the future.