Republican Jim Sensenbrenner announces he won’t seek reelection

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) announced he will not seek reelection during an interview with Wisconsin radio host Mark Belling on Wednesday.

The Wisconsin Republican, 76, was first elected to the lower chamber in 1978.

{mosads}Sensenbrenner become the 13th House Republican to announce plans to retire this year as GOP incumbents adjust to life in the minority after losing the lower chamber last year.

The lawmaker’s 5th Congressional District is a Republican stronghold in Wisconsin. Sensenbrenner won reelection in 2018 by a margin of 62 percent to 38 percent over his Democratic opponent. 

“When I began my public service in 1968, I said I would know when it was time to step back. After careful consideration, I have determined at the completion of this term, my 21st term in Congress, it will be that time,” he said in a statement.

Sensenbrenner also recounted a number of milestones during his 40-year House tenure, including taking 23,882 votes, holding more than 100 town halls and helping “countless individuals when they have encountered difficulties with the federal government.”

Sensenbrenner currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee, where he served as chairman from 2001 to 2007, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The dean of the Wisconsin congressional delegation, he also previously chaired the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Updated at 6:50 p.m.