NY 19TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — Congressman Chris Gibson, who in November soundly defeated Democratic opponent Sean Eldridge, released a statement on January 6 saying he would not seek another term in office after the current one, which expires at the end of 2016.

Gibson has said in the past he would stick to a self-imposed term limit of six years in office. He was first elected to a term in 2010, and came to represent Sullivan County in 2012 after the redistricting process created a redrawn 19th Congressional District.

The statement said, “As I stated shortly after retiring from the U.S. Army and first pursuing a seat in Congress in 2010, I planned to self-impose term limits. Accordingly, after much reflection and consultation with my family, this will be my third and final time taking the oath of office as a Representative in the U.S. House. I thank the voters of upstate New York for this privilege to serve and pledge to continue to work tirelessly on their behalf in this final term. Moving forward, I will be committed to building a stronger team so that the GOP can compete and win statewide in 2018, including the possibility of being a candidate in that cycle.”

The statement also listed goals for the new legislative session in Washington which included, “Pro-growth tax reform that lowers rates for small business owners and hard-working families, and business tax reform that facilitates investment in infrastructure; and legislative action that would secure our borders and fix our broken immigration system.”

Gibson has been called the one of the most moderate Republicans in Congress, and has taken positions on some issues that set him apart from other members of his party. For instance, he said recently that he did not believe the decision to ban fracking in New York State was political, and there are legitimate questions about fracking’s impact on health and the environment. He has also said that he believes climate change is real and needs to be addressed.

Gibson makes numerous appearances throughout his district, and most analysts believe that had he decided to run again next time, he would have been difficult to beat.

“Clearly, there is much to be done, and I have great optimism about the future. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve—and lead—in these areas,” Gibson said.