« It’s time for me to come home. Time for me to be more than a weekend wife, mother and friend, » Speier said.
California Representative Jackie Speier announced on Tuesday she will not seek reelection, becoming the latest House Democrat to announce retirement before the 2022 midterm election cycle. The seven-term congresswoman said it has been an « extraordinary privilege » to serve, but it was time for her to step down. « It’s time for me to come home. Time for me to be more than a weekend wife, mother and friend, » Speier said. Speier first ran for office in 1978, after surviving an ambush by Jim Jones cult followers that killed her congressman boss in Guyana. « I vowed that if I survived, I would dedicate my life to public service. I lived, and I served, » Speier said in the video announcing her retirement. Speier is now the 14th House Democrat to announce retirement and not seek reelection in 2022. Most have given reasons beyond politics for retiring, like the desire to spend more time with family, or to allow someone else to serve. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
