Wisconsin Republican Reid Ribble will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives, he announced Saturday night.
Ribble’s retirement will create an open seat in a swing district for the November elections.
In a statement published by local Wisconsin news, Ribble said that he was stepping down after six years in Congress to dedicate more time with his family.
“I come from the private sector and am anxious to return to it and to a more private life,” Ribble said. He also said that he’d achieved the two main goals that prompted him to run for Congress, cutting spending and preventing tax increases.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsin Republican, praised Ribble in a statement issued Sunday.
Ribble “has played a critical role in advancing conservative reforms, and has served his constituents well,” Ryan said. “His presence will be missed, but we are grateful for his many contributions to Wisconsin and the country.”
Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District, which Ribble represents, went for Barack Obama in 2008 and for Mitt Romney in 2012.
Ribble first won election in 2010 against an incumbent Democrat with nearly 55 percent of the vote, and won re-election by a slightly greater margin in 2012.
