N.Y. GOP rep who backed impeach won’t run

Rep. John Katko, an upstate moderate who was one of just 10 Republican members of the House of Representatives who voted to impeach former President Trump a second time, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection.

“After 32 years of public service, I have decided not to run for reelection to Congress so I can enjoy my family and life in a more full and present way,” Katko said in a statement.

Katko is the third of the 10 House impeachment backers to throw in the towel amid bitter opposition from Trump and his loyal army of supporters. Others are battling fierce primary challenges like Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) Trump wasted no time dancing on Katko’s political grave. “Great news, another one bites the dust. Katko, from upstate New York, is gone!” the former president wrote in an email message.

A former federal prosecutor, Katko already faced at least one primary challenger in his sprawling battleground district in the west-central part of the state.

The four-term moderate was also in the crosshairs of Democrats because he is one of a handful of Republicans whose districts voted for President Biden in 2020.

Democrats in the New York Legislature were already considering redrawing Katko’s district as part of a redistricting effort to increase their majority in its congressional delegation. Some Democrats hope to engineer as much as a 23-3 margin over the GOP, up from the current 19-8 edge.

Katko is the 12th House Republican to announce they’re not seeking reelection in 2022. About 30 Democratic lawmakers are stepping down in a sign the GOP could be heading for a good showing in the midterm elections, which generally favor the opposition party.