Rep. Pete Visclosky, who has served in the House since 1985 and is currently a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in 2020, The Hill reported.
The Indiana Democrat said in a statement that “For my entire career I have worked to build support for our domestic steel industry and organized labor, secure investments in transformational projects and improve our quality of place to benefit the only place I have ever called home.”
He encouraged the next generation of politicians to “Be for something and not against someone. Strive to overcome the intolerance that grips our nation and recognize that only through mutual respect, rational discourse, cooperation and fair play can we build a good and strong community and country.”
The northwestern district that he represents is expected to remain under Democratic control. He won re-election last year by some 30 points. In the last presidential election, Hillary Clinton won his district by nearly 13 points even as President Donald Trump captured Indiana overall by 19 points.
Visclosky is the eighth House Democrat to declare they won’t seek re-election in 2020.
Following Visclosky’s announcement, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., who won his reelection bid Tuesday, immediately said he would run for the seat, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“I want everyone to know that I am a candidate for this office in 2020, and that I intend to be Northwest Indiana’s next Congressman,” McDermott said in a statement.
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