North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre, D, will retire at the end of his term next year, creating an opportunity for the GOP in this fall's midterm elections.
McIntyre said in a statement that he would not seek another term from his southern North Carolina district. McIntyre has been targeted for defeat in the Republican-leaning district, which he won by just 654 votes in the 2012 elections.
"I am grateful to all of the Democrats, Republicans, and Independents with whom we have successfully worked through nine elections over 18 years, he said. “My family and I are ready for a new chapter and excited about new opportunities to continue helping North Carolina."
McIntyre's retirement offsets some Democratic advantages created by centrist Republican retirements, most recently Pennsylvania Rep. Jim Gerlach's decision not to seek re-election.
Also on Wednesday, New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D, announced that she would not seek another term this fall. A proponent of gun control who ran for Congress after her husband was killed in a shooting on the Long Island Rail Road, McCarthy has been undergoing treatment for lung cancer. Her district is regarded as mostly safe for Democrats.
