Representative Tim Griffin, a two-term Republican who represents a politically competitive district in Arkansas, said Monday that he will not seek a third term.
Mr. Griffin, a former aide to Karl Rove and one of the Republican Party’s rising stars in Congress, said that he wanted to spend more time with his wife and two young children. His announcement was unexpected.
“It has been an agonizing and difficult decision involving much prayer, thought and discussion,†he told the Arkansas publication Talk Business.
“We have decided that now is the time for me to focus intently on my top priority, my family,†added Mr. Griffin, who was one of 87 House Republicans who voted for the Senate plan to end the shutdown.
Mr. Griffin’s district, which includes Little Rock and several surrounding counties, has leaned Republican lately, though until 2011 it was represented by a Democrat, Vic Snyder, for more than a decade.
His decision not to run again opens another Republican seat for the 2014 election. Last week, longtime Representative Bill Young of Florida died. His district is also competitive.
While Democrats would have to overcome long odds to recapture control of the House, vacancies like these certainly help. Patrick Henry Hays, the former North Little Rock mayor, was planning to announce his campaign in Mr. Griffin’s district on Tuesday.
