U.S. Rep. Martha Roby will not seek re-election in 2020.
A five-term Congresswoman, Roby made the announcement on Friday through her press office, as she thanked the voters in Alabama’s 2nd District for her time in office.
“Throughout my five terms in Congress, I have cast every vote with the deciding principle that Alabama always comes first,” Roby said in the release. “Together, we have been able to deliver some incredible results for our military, veterans, agriculture community and the unborn.”
Roby vowed to remain focused as she finished out what will be a lame-duck tenure.
Roby’s decision was not altogether unexpected. Although the congresswoman gave no reason for her departure, the 2nd District is likely to experience significant changes after the upcoming U.S. census. Alabama is expected to lose a congressional seat, and most believe the impact of that will leave the 2nd District with a much different demographic makeup.
In addition, Roby has not exactly been a darling of the hard-line right, which makes up a large chunk of the current district. Much of the criticism of her is that she isn’t conservative enough — a notion that became more popular after she publicly stated in 2016, following an “Access Hollywood” recording in which Donald Trump described how he sexually assaults women, that she would not vote for Trump.
Despite that, she pretty easily won re-election last year, beating former Rep. Bobby Bright in a runoff for the Republican primary and then easily defeating Democratic challenger Tabitha Isner.
Oddly enough, Roby initially won that seat by beating Bright, who was then a Democrat, in the Republican wave in 2010.
