US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to Resign After Five Years of Challenges, Reforms, and Financial Struggles

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to Step Down After Nearly Five Years of Leadership

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has announced plans to step down, the U.S. Postal Service confirmed Tuesday, following a tenure defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, a surge in mail-in election ballots, and efforts to reduce financial losses through cost-cutting measures.

In a letter sent Monday, DeJoy asked the Postal Service Board of Governors to begin the search for his successor.

“I have worked tirelessly to lead the 640,000 men and women of the Postal Service through an extraordinary transformation,” he wrote. “We have served the American people through an unprecedented pandemic, high inflation, and a period of sensationalized politics.”

Appointed in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s administration, DeJoy was a Republican donor and former logistics executive, making him the first postmaster general in nearly two decades without a career background in the postal service.

During his tenure, DeJoy introduced a 10-year plan aimed at modernizing operations and stabilizing the agency’s finances. He warned that customers should expect “uncomfortable” rate hikes as part of efforts to make the Postal Service more self-sufficient.

His plan involved consolidating mail processing centers to improve efficiency and cut costs. However, critics—including members of Congress—argued that these changes had slowed service, particularly in rural areas. DeJoy pushed back against these claims, defending the reforms as necessary to build a more modern, efficient postal system.

DeJoy also oversaw the Postal Service during two presidential elections marked by a sharp rise in mail-in voting. Ahead of the 2020 election, a federal judge intervened to limit some of his cost-cutting measures after they were found to have contributed to mail delays. His changes included restricting overtime for postal workers and halting late and extra truck deliveries, which reduced costs but led to mail being left behind for later delivery.

In his resignation letter, DeJoy expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, pledging to assist in the leadership change as needed.