Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) bucked the Washington trend on Monday – ditching her original plan to retire and announcing she will seek a third term in Congress after all.
Ukrainian native Spartz, 45, announced almost exactly a year ago that he would not seek re-election — passing up a potential Senate bid in the process.
“Deciding where your duty is – family, work, or country, is not an easy task. “Early last year, I decided to take some time off from running for public office to recharge and spend more time in Indiana with my family,” Spartz said in a statement.
“As someone who grew up under tyranny, I understand the importance of these challenging times for our Republic, and if my fellow Hoosiers and God decide, I will be happy to continue fighting for them.”
At least nine Republicans have filed nomination papers to replace Spartz in Indiana’s Republican-safe 5th Congressional District, which includes the northern suburbs of Indianapolis.
Last February, when she announced her early retirement plans, Spartz argued that “being a working mom is hard” and that she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Victoria Spartz will not retire. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images The Indiana Republican has repeatedly cast doubt on re-election over the past year. Getty Images
As of Monday, 40 House lawmakers — 23 Democrats and 17 Republicans — had opted not to seek another two-year term, according to Ballotpedia.
While 17 members of Congress are seeking higher office — either governor, senator or, in the case of Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), the presidency — the remaining 23 want out of public life entirely.
Seven sitting senators will also leave Congress after the 2024 election, including Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Mitt Romney announced he was retiring last year, citing his age and concerns that another term in the Senate would not be fruitful. The Washington Post via Getty Images Joe Manchin announced his retirement from the Senate but is actively playing for the presidency. Getty Images
The number of retirements this cycle is not a record — with 55 members of Congress stepping down between 2022 and 2018.
However, it has surpassed the 40 who exited in 2020 and the 45 who did not run again in 2016.
Spartz’s announcement will provide relief to Republicans, who hold a slim 219-212 majority in the House.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
