Kentucky’s lone Democrat in Congress, John Yarmuth, won’t run for reelection next year after 16 years in office, creating a likely contentious primary battle for the Louisville-area district.
Yarmuth is the chair of the powerful House Budget Committee. The 73-year-old said Tuesday he wants to have “more control of my time in the years I have left.”
“The desire to have more control of my time in the years I have left has become a high priority. Candidly, I have found new and incomparable joy in spending time with my young grandson. And I would like to spend more of my golden years in Louisville,” Yarmuth said in a video posted to Twitter.
Yarmuth was first elected in 2006 after defeating incumbent Republican Rep. Anne Northup.
State Rep. Attica Scott, a Democrat from Louisville, announced her candidacy for the seat earlier this year.
Minutes after Yarmuth’s announcement, state Sen. Morgan McGarvey, also a Democrat from Louisville, announced he would also run for the seat.
Correction: A previous version of this story gave the incorrect age for John Yarmuth.
