Phoenix – Rep. Jim Kolbe, a leading proponent of free trade and the only openly gay Republican in Congress, announced Wednesday that he will not seek a 12th term next year.
Kolbe, 63, said in a statement that he wants to find “new avenues of service” and spend more time in Arizona.
“I make this decision not out of despair or discouragement or even uncertainty about my political prospects for election,” he said.
Kolbe did not disclose any specific plans, and his spokeswoman said he would not answer questions Wednesday.
Kolbe often disagrees with his party on gay-rights issues. He reluctantly acknowledged in 1996 that he is gay, beating to the punch a national gay magazine that planned to do an article on him after he voted against federal recognition of same- sex marriages.
Kolbe is a strong proponent of free trade and a guest-worker program for immigrants. He is popular in his Tucson-area district, receiving 61 percent of the vote in 2004.
Kolbe has served as chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations and export financing, a critical position in determining foreign aid. He was first elected to Congress in 1984.
