WASHINGTON _ Michigan Rep. Paul Mitchell won't be running for a third term in 2020, saying he's frustrated with how politics dominates policy in Congress.
Elected to an open seat in 2016, Mitchell is the sophomore representative in GOP leadership. He represents the 10th District, a safe Republican seat that President Donald Trump carried by 32 points.
Mitchell first discussed his decision to retire with Politico. He said he wants to spend more time with a 9-year-old son with special needs. The two-term congressman plans to announce his retirement in remarks on the House floor later on Wednesday.
"You look at the rhetoric and vitriol, it overwhelms policy, politics becomes the norm. Everything's about politics. Everything's about an election. And at some point of time, that's not why I came here," Mitchell told Politico.
Earlier this month, Mitchell criticized Trump's racist tweets about four Democratic congresswomen, saying "those comments are beneath leaders."
The former CEO of Ross Education, Mitchell won a four-way primary in 2016 to replace retiring Rep. Candace Miller. The previous cycle, he spent millions of dollars of his own money on an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in the 4th District, now represented by Rep. John Molenaar.
