Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) announced on Saturday that he will be retiring at the end of his term in 2020 after serving four terms.
Enzi laid out his retirement plans during a speech at the city hall in Gillette, where he once served as mayor. Enzi is currently the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
“I have much to get done in the next year and a half,” the Republican said, adding that he wanted to focus on legislation to tackle the national debt, small businesses and jobs in Wyoming.
“I don’t want to be burdened with the distractions of a campaign,” Enzi continued. “After this term, I will find other ways to serve.”
Enzi’s retirement will leave a Senate seat open in a majority-Republican state. As ABC News noted, Wyoming hasn’t elected a Democrat to a Senate seat in over 40 years.
A low-key conservative in the Senate, Enzi has been in office for 22 years and passed more than 100 bills.
While Enzi was instrumental in passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, during his speech he made note of his reputation for reaching across the political aisle to work on legislation.
“Most of my bills have 15 or less votes in opposition which is very bipartisan,” Enzi said.
Sen. John Barrasso, also a Republican senator from Wyoming, commended his colleague’s leadership on Saturday.
Enzi’s “character, courage and credibility have made him a respected moral leader in the U.S. Senate,” Barrasso said in a statement. “In four terms in the Senate he has never wavered in his commitment to God, family or Wyoming.”
In a statement, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who challenged Enzi for his seat in 2014, also thanked the senator for “fighting for a smaller, less obstructive, and more efficient federal government that would allow people to grow and thrive,” Politico reported.