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Indiana’s Peter Visclosky won’t run for reelection in 2020

18-term congressman will leave behind a safe Democratic seat

Democratic Rep. Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana announced his retirement on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Democratic Rep. Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana announced his retirement on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Indiana Democratic Rep. Peter J. Visclosky won’t run for a 19th term in 2020, he announced Wednesday — exactly 35 years after the day he first won election to the House. 

“For my entire career I have worked to build support for our domestic steel industry and organized labor, secure investments in transformational projects and improve our quality of place to benefit the only place I have ever called home,” Visclosky said in a statement.

[The 10 most vulnerable House members in 2020: Democrats dominate]

First elected in 1984, Visclosky is chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the 116th Congress. He represents Indiana’s 1st District, in the northwest corner of the state, where he was born in Gary. The son of an ironworker, he’s been vice chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus.

Although President Donald Trump carried Indiana by 19 points in 2016, he lost Visclosky’s district by 13 points. Visclosky won an 18th term in 2018 by 30 points. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the 1st District Solid Democratic. 

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