New York Republican Congressman Peter King Announces His Retirement

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is set to be the 20th House Republican to retire right before the 2020 election, after 14 terms and close to 30 years in the lower chamber of Congress.

“The prime reason for my decision was that after 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commute and be home in Seaford,” King said, as part of his reason for retirement, the other being that he wants to spend more time on his family.

King’s Legacy

Peter King has seen his fair share of controversy over the years, from comments saying that “80 to 85 percent of mosques in this country are controlled by Islamic fundamentalists,” to harsh words regarding Eric Garner and his death, to last year, when he praised ICE for their “excellent record” despite a report that two children had died in their custody.

As a Republican, King has always been loyal to President Trump, quick to come to his defense if need be and dismiss any attempts to undermine the president, such as the recent impeachment inquiry regarding which King said:

“We can’t have the president of the United States, no matter who it is, being held hostage.” - Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

King has also come under fire over the years from conservatives who viewed his positions as too moderate, and bordering on liberal. He famously clashed with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) over the years on a variety of issues including Hurricane Sandy relief.

When Trump first heard about King’s decision to retire, he was disappointed, however, eventually accepted that “it’s time,” King told NBC’s Kristen Welker.

Growing Number of Retirements

As the 2020 elections are coming, more and more Republicans are retiring, with King being the 20th. House Democrats only have 8 retiring members, whose seats are generally seen as safe, while on the other hand, only about half the Republican seats are safe, per the Washington Post.

In other words, Democrats could have a shot next year at flipping a possible ten seats, including King’s district, especially with recent surveys regarding voter enthusiasm being very high. Other polls indicate that Republicans and Trump have a very good chance of doing well in 2020.