Dan Kildee announces he won't run for reelection in Michigan's 8th Congressional District
Dan Kildee
(FOX 2) - After serving five decades in public office, Dan Kildee will not seek reelection to Congress.
The Michigan Representative currently serves the 8th District, which includes his hometown of Flint. In a video posted to his Twitter Thursday, he said he loved the work he did. He also considered running for reelection in 2024 for another two-year term.
"But, there are times in all of our lives when you reassess the future and path forward. Being Diagnosed with cancer this year was one of those moments," he said.
KIldee had surgery for cancer and is now free of the illness. But the health concern sparked a larger series of questions about where he wants to spend the rest of his career and time.
"Running for public office - it's a personal decision first. It's not an easy one for me to make, but I know it's the right one for me," he said.
Kildee named securing funding for replacing lead lines in Flint and expanding health care as some of his greatest accomplishments.
The outgoing congressman said he's confident Michigan will reelect Joe Biden and a Democrat to his seat. But the state's 8th District is not a guarantee for the party and could attract a lot of attention as election season looms.
Republicans are eager to jump into the race, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
"Democrats are in shambles as their list of swing-district Democrats who are racing for the exits continues to grow. Republicans are looking forward to flipping this seat red," said Spokesman Mike Marinella.
Dave Wasserman, who runs the Cook Political Report which tracks congressional races, called the election a toss-up.