Bishop confirms departure from Congress

GOP Rep. Rob Bishop (Utah) on Monday confirmed that he will not seek another term in the House, the Deseret News reported.

Bishop, who serves as the top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, was first elected to the lower chamber in 2002.

{mosads}The Deseret News noted that Bishop said in 2012 that he would not seek reelection once he could no longer serve in a committee leadership position.

He said earlier this month, however, that he was considering another run, the newspaper added.

The Utah Republican, who is the state’s longest serving member in the lower chamber, hasn’t ruled out a gubernatorial bid if the circumstances are right.

“I am not going to run for governor because I am bored or want a job,” Bishop, 68, told the Deseret News.

Reps. Paul Mitchell (Mich.), Pete Olson (Texas) and Martha Roby (Ala.) announced their retirements over the past two weeks.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) expressed confidence that the GOP will retain Bishop’s seat in 2020.

“This seat is an R+26,” NRCC spokesman Chris Pack said in a statement.

This breaking news report was last updated at 2:59 p.m.