(UnitedVoice.com) – The Democratic Party has a tough election season ahead of them in 2024. The Senate map looks bad for the party, and President Joe Biden is down in the polls. Now, a member of the House has announced he will be leaving Congress in February.
On November 12, Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) announced his decision to leave Congress, saying that he believes “institutional norms have been compromised” in Congress. The 64-year-old, who has represented New York’s 26th US Congressional District, which includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls, explained that he thinks that’s just the beginning of a bad trend.
Higgins said working in Congress has been the “honor of a lifetime,” and he never “lingered on Capitol Hill” when he finished work. Instead, he opted to travel home on the first available flight every week because he prefers Western New York, and it reminded him why he was in Congress. He went on to say that he thinks too many lawmakers are chasing the news cycle.
After 19 years serving the WNY community in the US House of Representatives, I have made the decision to step down from Congress in February of 2024. It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent my hometown & I look forward to spending more time in the community I love. pic.twitter.com/sMSe9wvS47
— Brian Higgins (@RepBrianHiggins) November 12, 2023
The New York Times reported that Higgins blames the dysfunction in DC on Republicans allegedly trying to have viral moments, taking to the floor and passing controversial amendments and making aggressive speeches. He accused his conservative colleagues of “weaponiz[ing] the legislation-making process.” He went on to say the current leadership in the “House has failed miserably.” He accused them of being “poster child[ren] for dysfunction.”
State Senator Tim Kennedy (D) announced he’s going to try to pick up where Higgins leaves off. He will run to fill the seat in the 26th Congressional District. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he credited Higgins with creating opportunities in Western New York that didn’t previously exist, and now he has decided to run for Congress to have the opportunity to stay in the area. Kennedy promised to fight “against the extremist Republican agenda.”
NY Governor Kathy Hochul (D) will hold a special election next year to find a replacement for Higgins.
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