Democratic Rep. Gene Green (Texas) announced Monday that he will retire from Congress at the end of his term.
Green has represented Texas' 29th district since his election in 1992, and his constituents include most of those living in eastern Houston. He said in a statement that he is not seeking reelection because he wants to spend more time with his family.
"I have decided that I will not be filing for reelection in 2018. I think that it is time for me to be more involved in the lives of our children and grandchildren," he said. "I have had to miss so many of their activities and after 26 years in Congress it is time to devote more time to my most important job of being a husband, father and grandfather."
Green touted a series of items from his career in politics, including free vaccinations for children, job fairs for residents, and health care access. He also expressed confidence that he has his constituents' support and is not stepping down due to fear of losing reelection.
https://twitter.com/RepGeneGreen/status/930204898620329992
"I have been fortunate to have never lost an election since 1972 and I am confident that I still have the support of my constituents and would be successful if I ran for another term in Congress," Green said.
"Serving as an elected official is one of the greatest honors our country can bestow on a person," he said
Green’s seat is considered safely Democratic. He beat Republican challenger Julio Garza by 48 percentage points in the 2016 election.