Rep. Brenda Lawrence becomes 25th Democrat to not seek re-election

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Rep. Brenda Lawrence of Michigan has announced she is retiring from Congress at the end of her term, becoming the latest Democrat to add their name to the growing list not seeking re-election in January.

Lawrence, the congresswoman for Michigan's 14th District and the state's only Black member of Congress, announced she will not be running for re-election in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday.

"Today, after reflecting on my journey -- and oh my goodness, what a journey -- and having conversations with my family, I am announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to Congress," she said. "I am incredibly grateful for the people of Michigan's 14th Congressional District who have placed their trust and vote in me -- in me, just a little Black girl from the east side of Detroit, you made me your congresswoman."

She said that while she is not seeking re-election, her journey "is far from over."

"There's so much work that needs to be done," she said, without elaborating.

Having been elected for the first time in 2014, Lawerence would have been seeking a fifth two-year term. With her announcement Tuesday, she becomes the 25th Democrat to say they will not be seeking re-election in November, compared to 12 Republicans, according to Ballotpedia.org.

Lawrence, 67, was born in Detroit and had a career in the U.S. Postal Service before entering public service, according to her biography.

She was elected president of the Southfield City Council in 1999, and two years later she became the city's mayor. In 2014, she was first elected to the House of Representatives.

"It's not lost on me that I'm currently the only Black member of the Michigan congressional delegation -- in both the U.S. House and Senate. So, whether it's in the halls of congress, city halls or local school boards, representation matters," she said Tuesday.

She told her constituents that while she is still their representative she will continue to fight for them, to pass laws to protect voting rights, women's rights and the environment.

Her announcement came the same day Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., announced he wouldn't seek re-election.