Patrick McHenry, who served as speaker pro tempore, will not seek reelection

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who served as speaker pro tempore for three weeks while the House was without a speaker, will not seek reelection, he announced on Tuesday.

“I will be retiring from Congress at the end of my current term. This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and — for me — this season has come to an end,” he said in a statement.

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McHenry is the 32nd member of the House to announce he is retiring, resigning, or not running for reelection.

The North Carolina Republican has served in Congress since 2004. He rose through the ranks of House Financial Services Committee chairman and became a close ally of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

After McCarthy was ousted as speaker of the House, McHenry became speaker pro tempore and led the House through a chaotic three-week period while the House Republican Conference struggled to elect a speaker.

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Earlier in the year, McHenry was key in helping the House come to an agreement with the White House on a debt ceiling deal as he, along with Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), led the negotiations from the House standpoint.

“Throughout my years in the House, I’ve mentored and been mentored. I’ve learned from many, been taught lessons by others. I am proud to have been a legislator for nearly twenty years,” he said in his statement. “The craft of legislating is an art and I’m thankful for all the members and staff who helped me hone that craft.”