Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal announces he will not seek reelection in 2022

By CNN Newsource

Published December 16, 2021 11:48 AM

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN

Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2022, joining a number of high-profile and long-serving lawmakers who plan to leave Capitol Hill after this term.

“It is time to pass the baton,” Lowenthal, who has served nearly 10 years in Congress, said in a statement. “It is time to rest and surround myself with the benefits of a life well lived and earned honorably in the service of my fellow citizens.”

Lowenthal, 80, is one of a more than a dozen House Democrats to announce their retirement ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, when their party faces a tough fight to try and hold onto their slim majority in the chamber.

In his announcement Thursday, Lowenthal said he’s “determined” to make the most of his remaining time in office, after which he has “other challenges I would like to take on beyond the halls of government.”

He also added that he looks forward to spending more time with his family.

Lowenthal has represented California’s 47th Congressional District, which includes parts of Los Angeles County and western Orange County, since 2013. He was reelected to his fifth term in 2020.

A former community psychology professor at California State University, Lowenthal got his start in local California politics, first as a city council member in Long Beach, and later serving 14 years as a California legislator.