It’s official. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has announced he will not be seeking re-election this November. Ryan has represented Wisconsin in Congress since 1999. He was just 28 years old when he was first elected. Mitt Romney also picked Ryan as his Vice Presidential nominee when he ran for President back in 2012. It’s not clear whether Ryan is retiring from politics altogether or just from the House of Representatives.
Ryan says after 20 years in Congress, “The truth is it’s easy for it to take over everything in your life.” He says he wants to spend more time with his teenage children, “My kids will only have known me as a weekend dad… I just can’t let that happen, so I will be setting new priorities in my life.’
The position is second in the line of succession for President, following the Vice President.