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Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02) to retire from Congress
Lost in the VAGov & NJGov races, but this is good news for us!
New Jersey Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, will not run for reelection in 2018, he announced Tuesday.
LoBiondo cited committee term-limits for his departure, but the 12-term incumbent also took parting shots at partisan gridlock in Congress.
"There is no longer middle ground to honestly debate issues and put forward solutions," LoBiondo said in a statement. "... Those of us who came to Congress to change Washington for the better through good governance are now the outliers. In legislating, we previously fought against allowing the perfect to become the enemy of the good. Today a vocal and obstinate minority within both parties has hijacked good legislation in pursuit of no legislation.
LoBiondo said that his decision isn't "electoral" and that he was "very confident voters would again reelect me" in 2018 had he decided to run for reelection.
The decision opens a battleground district in southern New Jersey that LoBiondo has held easily since 1994. New Jersey's 2nd District backed President Donald Trump with 50.6 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 46 percent in 2016. But former President Barack Obama also won the seat twice with between 53 and 54 percent of the vote.
LoBiondo cited committee term-limits for his departure, but the 12-term incumbent also took parting shots at partisan gridlock in Congress.
"There is no longer middle ground to honestly debate issues and put forward solutions," LoBiondo said in a statement. "... Those of us who came to Congress to change Washington for the better through good governance are now the outliers. In legislating, we previously fought against allowing the perfect to become the enemy of the good. Today a vocal and obstinate minority within both parties has hijacked good legislation in pursuit of no legislation.
LoBiondo said that his decision isn't "electoral" and that he was "very confident voters would again reelect me" in 2018 had he decided to run for reelection.
The decision opens a battleground district in southern New Jersey that LoBiondo has held easily since 1994. New Jersey's 2nd District backed President Donald Trump with 50.6 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 46 percent in 2016. But former President Barack Obama also won the seat twice with between 53 and 54 percent of the vote.
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/07/lobiondo-retire-congress-244647