Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated the number of years Denn served as lieutenant governor.

Citing "grueling politics," Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn announced on Facebook Monday that he will not run for re-election in 2018.

"After fourteen years in statewide elected office, I am ready for a change," Denn said on his public Facebook page. "Although my term does not end for another year and four months, I thought it was responsible to let people know my plans now."

Denn became Attorney General in January 2015, after beating Republican Ted Kittila, a Wilmington corporate lawyer, in an election the previous November. He will remain in the position until the end of 2018.

Denn replaced the late Beau Biden, who in 2014 announced plans to run for governor. Biden, the eldest son of former-Vice President Joe Biden, died in 2015 after a battle with brain cancer.

In the Facebook post, Denn noted his frustration with "endless fundraising" as well as "constant attacks" as reasons for not pursuing another term to lead the Delaware Department of Justice.

He said he has been involved in politics during his 12-year-old twin sons' entire lives.

"My boys deserve a change, my wife deserves a change, and I would like a change as well," Denn said.

Before Denn became attorney general, he served for six years as lieutenant governor, and prior to that as the state's insurance commissioner. He had no experience as a prosecutor before becoming attorney general. He earned a law degree from Yale in 1991.

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Denn also said a desire to focus on what he called "the big picture" contributed to his decision.

"I don’t know what I’ll be doing in January 2019, but my hope is to be doing something in the private sector where I’ll be able to devote part of my time to ensuring that every single kid in our state has a real opportunity to fulfill his or her potential," he said.

The state Department of Justice has pursued numerous high-profile convictions during Denn's term, including a 91-count indictment of members of the Touch Money Gang in Wilmington.

Denn's office's use of nuisance property statutes also led to the closure of the Gold Club, a strip club that had been the site of crime just outside of Wilmington.

"I am proud of the way we have carried out our core duties of protecting and serving Delawareans, and also helped lead the state in important areas such as battling the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, advocating for community policing and lifting up disadvantaged communities," Denn said in his statement.

A DOJ spokesman declined to comment on the statement.

Delaware Democratic Party Chairman Erik Raser-Schramm reacted on Facebook, saying Denn's early announcement will give others interested in becoming attorney general time to evaluate the job.

Denn "has played such an important role in stemming the tide of our state’s addiction epidemic, targeting nuisance properties in our most vulnerable communities, and keeping Delawareans safe, while also helping reform our criminal justice system," Raser-Schramm said.

GOP Chairman Michael Harrington said a clear opening has emerged for a Republican to become the next attorney general.

"There are a number of uniquely qualified individuals who have expressed an interest in running," Harrington said. "It is our hope that we will be able to avoid a primary fight and unite behind a candidate whose legal credentials make them the obvious choice."



State Republican Party rules prohibit the endorsement of a candidate until after the primary election, Harrington said.

Rumors that Denn may not run for another term have existed since early this year, said Charles Oberly, former-U.S. prosecutor for the District of Delaware.

He said he was approached at that time by Democratic Party donors who suggested that he should run for the position.

"Of course, I didn’t say anything at the time, I was U.S. attorney," said Oberly, who also served as state attorney general from 1983 until 1995.

Oberly in March was one of 46 U.S. attorneys appointed by former President Barack Obama who were asked by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to submit their resignations.

While no one yet has announced their candidacy to lead the state Attorney General's Office, Oberly said "if the Democratic Party felt that I had something to offer, I certainly would not say ‘no’ to it."

"I have a fair amount of experience, but I just heard about this today,” he said. "I certainly wish Matt well and we had a great relationship while I was U.S. attorney."

Other reactions around the state were largely supportive. Delaware Senate President Pro Tempore David McBride said Denn's term as attorney general has been marked by "moral clarity."

"Matt stepped into public service for the right reasons. And he’s stepping away for the right reasons," McBride said in a statement.

Gov. John Carney, in a statement, said Denn has been involved in public service "for the right reasons."

"He has been a leader for Delaware kids with disabilities, has worked to make communities in Wilmington safer, and has been a fierce advocate for Delaware consumers since his time as Insurance Commissioner," Carney said.

Contact Karl Baker atkbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.