GOP Rep. LoBiondo to retire
GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection in 2018, and pointed to increased political polarization as a reason.
LoBiondo, 71, said minorities in both parties increasingly have made it difficult to get things done.
People before politics has always been my philosophy and my motivation. Regrettably, our nation is now consumed by increasing political polarization; there is no longer middle ground to honestly debate issues and put forward solutions, he said in a statement.
As some of my closest colleagues have also come to realize, those of us who came to Congress to change Washington for the better through good governance are now the outliers, he continued. In legislating, we previously fought against allowing the perfect to become the enemy of the good. Today a vocal and obstinate minority within both parties has hijacked good legislation in pursuit of no legislation.
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His decision to retire does create a possible opportunity for Democrats.
While Donald Trump won the district in 2016, Barack Obama won it by seven points over Mitt Romney in 2012.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/359162-gop-rep-lobiondo-to-retire-after-current-term-ends-reports