New Jersey Democratic Rep. Rush Holt Won't Seek Reelection

Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) will not seek reelection, the New York Times reports.

“From my point of view, Congress, even with its frustrations, is the greatest instrument for justice and human welfare in the world,” Holt told the Times. “The stories trying to puzzle out why someone would do something else are based on this rather narrow way of thinking that the only purpose for a member of Congress is to be re-elected. I’ve never viewed it that way, and I think everybody who’s worked with me knows that I think there are a lot of things that I can and should be doing.”

Holt, a "Jeopardy!" champion with a doctoral degree in physics, recently re-introduced a “Darwin Day” resolution on the House floor, advancing a proposal to designate British naturalist Charles Darwin’s Feb. 12 birthday as a day of recognition for “the importance of science in the betterment of humanity."

This has been updated.