LOS ANGELES (AP) - California Rep. Gary Miller, a Republican facing the prospect of a tough re-election fight, announced Wednesday he would retire from Congress at the end of the term.
“While there is still a lot of work to be done, it is now time for me to pass the baton,” Miller, 65, said in a statement released by his office.
Miller’s decision opens an opportunity for Democrats, who hold a 7-point registration edge in the inland district east of Los Angeles that includes the city of San Bernardino. President Barack Obama carried the district with 57 percent of the vote in 2012.
California’s congressional delegation is going through a generational upheaval.
Miller is the fifth member of Congress from the state to announce plans to retire, in advance of this year’s elections when all House seats are on the ballot. Others exiting include longtime Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman and Republican Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Miller, a developer, is among the wealthiest members of the House. While in Congress he compiled a conservative voting record and has used his expertise to work on housing and mortgage issues.
“Going forward, we must all remain focused on real solutions to create jobs, grow the local economy and stabilize the housing market,” he said. “Rather than waste our time on proposals that divide us, we need to focus on feasible, bipartisan solutions to provide opportunities for hardworking Americans.”
First elected in 1998, Miller said family circumstances prompted his decision.
The ex-wife of his son, Brian Miller, disappeared with the congressman’s three grandchildren in 2007. She had joint legal custody of the boys with their grandparents but there was an ongoing dispute between the couple and their families. When she was found in Mexico in August 2011, the congressman thanked authorities for tracking down the boys, twins then 10 years old, and their then-12-year-old brother.
“When I came to Congress in 1999 my children were grown and out of the house. Today, we have a full house again. My wife and I are raising our three grandchildren,” Miller said in the statement.
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