Longtime Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., announced on Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2014, according to several local news outlets and a statement from his office.

“It has been the greatest privilege imaginable to serve as the representative of the people of Alabama in the United States House of Representatives,” Bachus said in a statement. “It is an honor that I never dreamed could have been possible for me and the words ‘thank you’ are far from adequate. But as Ecclesiastes 3 says, to everything there is a season and I feel in my heart that now is the time for me to announce this decision and allow others to have the opportunity to serve.”

The 6th District is a solidly GOP seat, and the Republican nominee for president, Mitt Romney, won it with 74 percent last year. Bachus won re-election in 2012 with a similarly hefty margin, taking 71 percent in the district on Election Day.

Also last cycle, Bachus triumphed over a primary challenge from a state senator.

The 11-term Republican is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.