WASHINGTON (AP) — New York Rep. Gary Ackerman has announced he will not seek re-election.
The 15-term Democrat who has represented Queens and part of Long Island said in a statement Thursday that although new congressional boundaries were extremely favorable, he informed family, friends and staff that he will not seek another term.
Ackerman is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he has been outspoken on several global issues, including U.S. support for Israel and the threat it faces from Iran. Prior to his tenure in the House, he served as a New York state senator.
The 69-year-old lawmaker said he was making the announcement on the eve of a federal court decision of new congressional boundaries for New York.
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