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Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Announced Saturday that he would not be seeking a fifth term in the Senate in 2020, leaving the seat open to candidates, including representative Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. Who challenged him in 2014.
Enzi, 75, chairman of the Senate Committee on Budgets, was appointed senator in 1997. He was elected to the Senate in 1996, replacing former Republican Senator Al Simpson. He made the announcement in the council chamber at Gillette Town Hall, reported Gillette News Record. He is the former mayor of Gillette.
Enzi said he would spend the duration of his term focused on budget reform, according to the Star-Tribune Casper.
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ AND LIZ CHENEY DO NOT AGREE WITH TWITTER ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE 22nd AMENDMENT AND CONSTITUTION
"I want to focus on budget reform," he said, adding that "I do not want to be burdened by the distractions of another campaign, and after this year I will find other ways to serve".
According to his website, Enzi is also a member of the finance, health, education and labor committees, among others.
Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., Announced Saturday in the state that he represents that he will not seek a fifth term in the Senate in 2020.
(AP)
Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, challenged Enzi in 2014, but dropped out of his candidacy. Cheney currently sits as the House Republican's No. 3 House Leader.
She issued a statement regarding Enzi's retirement, saying that he "was dedicated to serving our state and our country".
"During his 20 years in Washington, he passed on the values of our state to the nation's capital, fighting for a smaller, less obstructive and more effective federal government that would allow people to grow and prosper," he said. Cheney's release. "He recognized that empowering people, not politicians, was the best way to increase opportunities, and he worked tirelessly to achieve that goal."
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Wyoming Republican Senator John Barrasso said in a statement, "The character, courage and credibility of Mike Enzi have made him a respected moral leader in the US Senate. In the Senate, he never lost his commitment to God, his family, or Wyoming over four warrants. "
With Enzi's retirement, Wyoming will have its first Senate seat opened in more than 10 years.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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