U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida says he will not seek another term this fall, stepping aside after two decades in office.
The Republican congressman made the announcement at a Thursday news conference. He said he was going back to practicing law.
He won a special election for Florida's 21st district in 1989 and went virtually unchallenged until last year, when fellow Cuban-American and former Hialeah mayor Raul Martinez ran against him.
Diaz-Balart, whose aunt was Cuban leader Fidel Castro's first wife, fled with his family to Miami as a child.
He spent much of his career as an advocate against Cuba's communist government, helping shape the U.S. government's current policy toward Cuba.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.