Long-serving New York Rep. Pete King announced on Facebook early Monday that he is joining a growing list of Republican members of Congress who are not running for re-election in 2020.
“I have decided not to be a candidate for re-election to Congress in 2020,” said King, who is serving his 14th term representing New York’s 2nd Congressional District. “I made this decision after much discussion with my wife Rosemary; my son Sean; and my daughter Erin. The prime reason for my decision was that after 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commute and be home in Seaford.”
“This was not an easy decision,” King continued (full statement below). “But there is a season for everything and Rosemary and I decided that, especially since we are both in good health, it is time to have the flexibility to spend more time with our children and grandchildren. My daughter’s recent move to North Carolina certainly accelerated my thinking.”
The 75-year-old congressman made clear that he is not stepping away because he perceives any trouble winning a 15th term in 2020.
“Politically I will miss the energy and dynamism of a re-election campaign especially since my polling numbers are as strong as they have ever been and I have more than $1 million in campaign funds,” he wrote.
In the statement, King highlighted some of his key political accomplishments and priorities over the decades. He wrote:
Governmentally I will miss fighting for the people of my district and America and will always be proud of my efforts for 9/11 victims and their families; protecting our citizens from terrorism and MS-13; leading the successful effort to recover from Superstorm Sandy; being consistently cited for bipartisanship; working with President Clinton to achieve the Good Friday Agreement and end centuries of warfare in Ireland and Northern Ireland; and standing with the brave men and women of law Enforcement.
He also underscored that he stands firmly against the Democrats’ impeachment efforts, writing, “In the coming weeks and during the next year I intend to vote against President Trump’s impeachment and will support the President’s bid for re-election.”
“Most importantly I want to thank the residents of the 2nd Congressional District for giving me the opportunity to represent them in Washington, D.C. I will complete my term of office and continue to work hard for these constituents all the way to the final bell of the final round on Dec. 31, 2020,” he concludes. “It’s been a great run! Thanks.”
The New York Times paints the departure of King as part of “the grim political realities” facing the Republican Party in 2020, “including an uphill slog to win back the House in next year’s election and the prospect of sharing a ticket with an unpopular president.”
King is considered one of the more moderate among Republicans in the House, frequently working alongside Democrats on bipartisan bills, but as the Times notes, he also took a hardline immigration stand, aligning him with one of Trump’s biggest priorities.