Texas Congressman Charlie Gonzalez will reportedly forgo a 2012 bid for re-election, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The Texas Democrat said he forgo an eighth term in Congress, telling reporters that he is considering returning to the private sector.
“I still find the job hugely rewarding, but the demands pull me somewhere else,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “I’ve been in Congress for 14 years and I want to do something else — what that is I really don’t know, but financially I would like to be productive and have the resources to make a better life.”
Mr. Gonzalez said his decision is “tremendously emotional” because of his ties to the district, his father’s service and his time representing constituents.
“It has been part of my entire life,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “People still come up to me and tell me how my father made a difference in their lives.”
The announcement likely presents the possibility that the twin brother of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro would enter the 2012 race to fill the void left Mr. Gonzalez. The Democrat likely will seek Gonzalez’s 20th Congressional District seat, his spokesman Cary Clack told the San Antonio Express-News.
