House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey said he won’t seek re-election Monday, making him the seventh committee chairmen in the lower chamber to announce their retirement.
Frelinghuysen, who assumed office in 2011, faced a competitive race to retain his seat in his northern New Jersey district.
The Vietnam war veteran touted his ability to work across the aisle and vowed to continue work on passing a F2018 budget and complete the 2019 appropriations process through regular order.
“I have worked in a bipartisan manner, not just in times of crisis but always, because I believe it best serves my constituents, my state and our country,” he said in a statement. “I have sincerely endeavored to earn that trust every day and I thank my constituents and my home state of New Jersey for the honor to serve and I will continue to do so to the best of my abilities through the end of my term.”
Frelinghuysen was one of the 12 Republicans who opted to vote against the GOP’s tax reform bill in December, much to the dismay of leadership.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers said praised the New Jersey Republican’s service, adding the committee plans to work to keep the district red during the midterm election cycle.
“Congressman Frelinghuysen’s record of service to New Jersey’s 11th district will be remembered for decades to come,” he said in a statement. “We’ll sorely miss his leadership in Congress and I wish him well in the next chapter of his life. This district has been held by a Republican since the 1980’s, and we plan to keep it that way in November.”