Longtime Michigan GOP Rep. Fred Upton announces his retirement

Longtime Michigan Rep. Fred Upton, one of the 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection.

“Even the best stories has a last chapter. This is it for me,” Upton said in emotional remarks on the House floor.

“As a former Boy Scout, I believe in leaving the campground better than one found it,” Upton said. “I’ve worked with seven administrations, seven House speakers — none of them would call me a rubber stamp. If it’s good policy for Michigan, it’s good enough for all of us.”

Upton, first elected in 1986, is one of the longest-tenured Republicans in the House.

Of the 10 GOP members who voted to impeach Trump, Upton is the fourth to announce his retirement, following Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and New York Rep. John Katko.

On his decision to vote to impeach Trump, Upton said in a statement at the time that “our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any president to impede the peaceful transfer of power.”

After the state’s congressional redistricting, Upton was placed in a Western Michigan district with fellow Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga. Trump has endorsed Huizenga.