BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — After growing increasingly frustrated with the dysfunction in Washington, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., announced Sunday that he will be leaving Congress before the end of his current term.
“It’s just a time for change, and I think this is the time,” said Higgins, 64, during a news conference. He plans to leave office during the first week of February.
Higgins, a member of the House Ways and Means and Budget committees, began his 10th term in January.
“Congress is not the institution that I went to 19 years ago. It’s a very different place today,” he said. “We’re spending more time doing less. And the American people aren’t being served.”
Higgins’ decision to leave follows similar announcements from other Congress members, including Republican Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio.
During his announcement at the Buffalo History Museum, Higgins expressed his desire to come back to the city and continue serving the community that he has represented in Washington for nearly two decades. He mentioned that although he has been fielding offers, he does not yet know what he will do next.
Higgins’ departure is expected to lead to a special election in the heavily Democratic 26th Congressional District of New York, encompassing parts of Erie and Niagara counties, including the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Throughout his time in Congress, Higgins has been recognized for his leadership in the revitalization of Buffalo’s waterfront, starting in 2005 when he secured funding from the New York Power Authority. He is also co-chair of the Northern Border Caucus and Bipartisan Cancer Caucus, as well as a member of the Great Lakes Task Force.
State Sen. Tim Kennedy praised Higgins’ work, stating, “His work in Washington and western New York will be remembered for what it was: strategic, innovative, and at its core, always focused on why we do what we do as public servants: help people.” Kennedy, a Buffalo Democrat, is considered a potential candidate to replace Higgins.
