12:59US Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) addresses an event alongside US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is not pictured, regarding the administration’s initiatives to reduce expenses for homebuyers, at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland, on February 22, 2023. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., a long-serving former No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, is expected to declare his retirement from Congress, as confirmed by his office to ABC News.
Hoyer will officially reveal his decision not to seek reelection on the House floor at 10 a.m. Thursday.
At 86 years old, Hoyer has spent two decades serving as Nancy Pelosi’s deputy and will retire as the California Democrat also prepares to exit Congress at the end of the year, amidst discussions within the party regarding transitioning leadership to a younger generation.
Their connection goes back to the 1960s when they both worked as congressional interns, long before they competed for the Democratic leadership.
The esteemed dean of the Maryland delegation, who played a pivotal role in directing billions of federal funds to his state as an appropriator, was frequently a vital negotiating ally for Republican leaders who enjoyed a more amicable relationship with him compared to the assertive Pelosi.
Now, many Democrats are looking to see if 85-year-old Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the longtime No. 3 Democrat in the group, will indeed proceed with his plans to run for reelection next year.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com