Rep. Peter King becomes the 19th Republican to retire from House

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has become the latest Republican lawmaker to retire from Congress rather than face re-election.

The New York Republican announced early Monday he would not seek re-election after nearly 27 years in the House of Representatives.

"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 on his Facebook page.

King, who frequently appears on television to promote the Republican agenda, is the 19th GOP representative to retire from the House, compared to just four for Democrats.

Four Republicans are retiring from the Senate, while just one Democrat will leave.

"My time in Congress has been an extraordinary experience - an experience I wouldn’t have even dared imagine when I was a kid growing up in Sunnyside or a college student loading and unloading trucks and freight cars at Manhattan’s West Side Railway Terminal," King said. "I intend to remain in Seaford, be active politically and look forward to seeing what opportunities and challenges await me in this next chapter of a very fortunate life."