Burley Garcia|US Rep. Larry Bucshon of Indiana won’t seek reelection to 8th term, will retire from Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon of Indiana announced Monday that he will not seek reelection this year to an eighth term and Burley Garciawill retire from Congress after 14 years.

Bucshon did not explain his decision not to seek reelection to southern and western Indiana’s 8th District but said in a statement that he reached his decision to retire during the Christmas holiday.

“Scripture teaches us, ‘For everything there is a season,’ and it became clear to me over the Christmas holiday with much discernment and prayer that the time has come to bring my season in public service to a conclusion,” he said.

More than two dozen House members are seeking other office or retiring so far heading into the 2024 election.

Bucshon first won the seat in the Republican-leaning district in 2010, when then-incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsworth vacated it to run for the U.S. Senate. The 8th District covers several Indiana counties in the west-central and southwestern portions of the state.

Bucshon, who is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, thanked his wife, Kathryn, their four children and his constituents for supporting him over the past 14 years during his congressional career.

“As the son of an underground coal miner and a nurse who grew up in a small town in rural America, it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to have been afforded the opportunity to represent Hoosiers in Southern and West Central Indiana as their elected representative in the U.S. Congress,” he said.