UNITED STATES—Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced on Wednesday, April 11 that he will not be seeking re-election. Ryan indicated he was making the move to spend more time with his family.
“Now that’s why today I am announcing that this year will be my last one as a member of the House. To be clear, I am not resigning. I intend to serve my full term, as I was elected to do, but I will be retiring in January leaving this majority in good hands with what I believe is a very bright future,” he said in a press conference.
Brendan Buck, a counselor for Paul Ryan, said in a statement, “After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father. While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him.”
The move has some Republicans worried about being able to hold a majority in the House of Representative with the upcoming mid-term elections. Ray sat for an interview with “Meet the Press” on Sunday, where he defended the legacy he is leaving behind.
“We have done what needs to be done to get a stronger, more durable foundation under the economy,” said Ryan. “We’re going to focus on getting people from welfare into jobs. And we can do this when we had a strong growing economy. And that’s a darn good legacy,” he added.
