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Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner adds name to long list of GOP retirements from Congress
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Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner adds name to long list of GOP retirements from Congress

'I wanted to go out on my own terms'

Another House Republican has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2020, adding to a long list of impending GOP retirements in the lower chamber.

Wednesday night, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) told WISN-AM, "I wanted to go out on my own terms."

"I don't have an announced opponent for reelection and nobody can come up and say I forced him out because there's nobody that has any credibility on that," the long-serving congressman told the local radio station.

Sensenbrenner — who is now 76 years old — was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1978 and has previously served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, as well as of the House Science Committee. Before that, he served in the Wisconsin state legislature.

Former Wisconsin representative and Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan responded to the news with a statement, calling Sensenbrenner "a close friend, a supportive colleague, and a mentor of mine for decades."

"Jim has spent the last 50 years protecting our constitutional rights, ensuring the U.S. led the way in science and space, and fighting tirelessly for conservative principles," Ryan continued. "He is a statesman, a person of remarkable character, and his presence and wisdom will be sorely missed in Congress."

Sensenbrenner's announcement is the latest in a stream of House Republican retirements, including Martha Roby (Ala.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), and Rob Bishop (Utah).

Furthermore, the Texas delegation accounts for five of the retiring House Republicans: Bill Flores, Will Hurd, Pete Olson, Kenny Marchant, and Mike Conaway.

And the wave of Republican retirements is not confined to the House of Representatives, either. Over the past few months, longtime Republican Sens. Pat Roberts (Kan.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) have all announced that they won't be running for reelection next year.

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