(Headline USA) Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., has announced she will not seek reelection next year.
I’ve decided not to seek another term in Congress. Serving Central Florida has been the honor of my life, but it’s also been incredibly challenging for my family and me.
This was not an easy decision, but it is the right decision. Thank you for everything. pic.twitter.com/UaOufbPOSo
— Stephanie Murphy (@SMurphyCongress) December 20, 2021
Murphy, a leader of the Blue Dog Coalition and member of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol protest, said she is retiring from Congress to spend more time with her family.
“Public service is not without personal sacrifice, and as a mom of two young children, my time away from them has been hard. For them. For me. And for our family,” she said in a video statement.
But the announcement comes as nearly two-dozen other vulnerable Democrats have made similar decisions, with many expecting that they will face a severe midterm reckoning for the Left’s aggressive overreach and policy failures during the Biden administration.
Murphy, 43, was first elected in 2016, becoming the first Vietnamese American woman and second Vietnamese American in Congress, after defeating 12-term Republican John Mica in a central Florida district that includes part of Orlando.
Murphy was widely believed to be considering a challenge to Sen. Marco Rubio but said she would not seek the post when Rep. Val Demings, another Florida Democrat, launched her own bid earlier this year.
Before taking office, Murphy was a national security adviser at the Pentagon. She was born in Vietnam and came to the United States as an infant when her family fled the country.
In her statement, Murphy did not rule out another role in public service in the future.
“Now I still have a job to do and will work just as hard this next year as I have the last five,” she said. “And rest assured, after I leave office, I will continue to find ways that I can serve this great nation that has given so much to my family and me.”
Her departure was noted by colleagues including Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
We are in different parties and often disagree.
That said, there is no denying how effective Rep. Murphy has been for Florida – especially our amazing military families.
Best of luck going forward! https://t.co/za0WokCNEa
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 20, 2021
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
