Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland will not run for another term and plans to retire from Congress, the lawmaker toldThe Washington Post, marking the end of a more than four-decade career in the U.S House of Representatives.
"I did not want to be one of those members who clearly stayed, outstayed his or her ability to do the job," Hoyer confirmed to the newspaper on Jan. 7, adding that he plans to formally announce his retirement in a speech on the House floor on Jan. 8.
The New York TimesandPoliticoalso reported Hoyer's impending retirement, citing people familiar with his decision.
In aFacebook post, Hoyer said he will be speaking on the House floor at 10 a.m. ET on Jan. 8. He did not provide further details on the speech.
Hoyer is the third-longest serving member of the House of Representatives, behind Republican Reps. Hal Rogers and Chris Smith, who started their congressional careers in January 1981. He spent more than a decade in the Maryland state senate, where he served as president, before joining Congress.
Hoyer was first elected to Congress in 1981, representing Maryland's 5th Congressional District, covering the southern tip of the state.
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Hoyer was elected as majority leader under former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2022, serving as minority whip when Republicans controlled the House. In 2007, he became the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives from Maryland in U.S. history.
Hestepped down from leadershipalong with Pelosi in 2022 andendorsed Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New Yorkas his successor. In 2024, Hoyersuffered a mild stroke.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Steny Hoyer to retire from Congress after a four-decade career
