One of the last remaining members of the Blue Dog Coalition, Shuler was hit by congressional redistricting that made his western North Carolina district much more difficult for a Democrat to win.
The three-term congressman had been floated as a possible candidate for governor in North Carolina, but announced on Wednesday that he would not be running for that office.
Shuler did not address the new challenges that redistricting created for his electoral prospects, but in a statement on Thursday said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and two children.
“This was not an easy decision,” Shuler said. “However, I am confident that it is the right decision. It is a decision I have weighed heavily over the past few months. I have always said family comes first, and I never intended to be a career politician.”
Shuler stressed to reporters that family considerations were his sole reason for leaving Congress.
Bullshit. He's leaving because as a Blue Dog he has no support from the leadership...who I might add Heath ran against just after the 2010 election. This is his just reward, and he damn well knows it. And I'm betting there wasn't a single member of Congress in the NC delegation back home who was sorry to see Heath get squeezed out like this by redistricting. Dems hated him because he was an obstructive ass, Republicans hated him because he was a Dem. He had no friends in the state, and no friends in the party leadership. This particular reaped whirlwind knocked him right out of the House, and good riddance to his reactionary, obnoxious self.
Bye, Heath. Your Congressional career was about as useful as your NFL one.
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