Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, announced on X Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2026.
But Owens added that he plans to finish his current term before stepping away from elected office.
In a lengthy statement on social media, Owens said the decision came "after prayer, reflection, and many long conversations." He added, "I have decided that I will not seek reelection in 2026."
"I will complete this term fully committed to my work in Washington, D.C., and then step away from elected office," he said.
Owens said he first entered politics with a focus on education and advocacy for children.
"I began this political journey over six years ago with a simple question: Can I do more to advocate for our at-risk children?" he wrote, saying that focus led him to champion school choice policies in Congress.
Owens described legislation he sponsored on the issue as "landmark school choice legislation," saying key provisions were enacted through the Working Families Tax Cut Act reconciliation package and predicting that "history will record this legislation as the most consequential education reform in modern times."
He also pointed to ongoing work on anti-trafficking legislation, saying he is currently "shepherding bipartisan, bicameral legislation through the House — the Preventing Child Trafficking Act," which he said would provide "additional protection through better interagency coordination."
Reflecting on his decision to leave office, Owens said he revisited the same question that brought him into politics.
"Recently, I asked myself the same question that began this journey: Can I do more?" he wrote.
"After careful reflection, I have concluded that to continue this work, the next chapter of my mission would be best pursued outside elected office," he continued.
Owens also praised President Donald Trump and Republican leadership, writing that he had been "proud to fight alongside President Donald J. Trump," whose leadership he said "exposed the insidious spread of Marxism in our country."
The congressman said he plans to spend the remainder of his term continuing legislative work and supporting fellow Republicans politically.
"My final political sprint will be here in Utah and across the country, helping my colleagues expand our Republican majority," he wrote.
Owens has represented Utah’s 4th Congressional District since 2021 after defeating Democratic incumbent Ben McAdams in the 2020 election.
Before entering politics, Owens spent a decade in the NFL as a safety, playing for the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders, where he was part of the team that won Super Bowl XV.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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