On Tuesday, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) announced that she will not run for reelection in the 2022 midterm elections. She is the ninth Democratic incumbent in the House to announce their retirement from Congress.
In a video posted to Twitter, Speier made the announcement and thanked her constituents for their support over the years.
“Today, I’m announcing that I will not be a candidate for reelection to Congress in 2022,” she stated in the video. “It’s time for me to come home. Time for me to be more than a weekend wife, mother, and friend. It’s been an extraordinary privilege and honor to represent the people of San Mateo County and San Francisco at almost every level of government for nearly four decades.”
In the announcement, Speier explained that she decided to go into a life of public service after surviving the Jonestown Massacre, where she had accompanied Rep. Leo Ryan (D-CA) to the remote compound in Guyana. As she was trying to help 15 defectors leave the community, she was shot five times.
“I vowed that if I survived, I would dedicate my life to public service. I lived, and I served,” she stated in the video. “It has been a remarkable journey that has surpassed my wildest dreams.”
Speier was first elected to Congress in 2008, representing California’s 12th congressional district. She has represented California’s 14th congressional district since 2013. Thus far, several other Democratic House members, such as Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), have announced they will not seek reelection in 2022.
Watch the announcement below.
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) November 16, 2021