Sixteen years after taking office, Rep. Ander Crenshaw shocked supporters Wednesday when he announced the end of a political career that ran through the state Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

In Congress, Crenshaw fought for military funding, disability rights and fiscal conservatism. But over Easter break, he said, he reflected on his time in Congress and whether he was ready for it to end. "It seemed like a good time to just turn the page and see what's next. It wasn't any one thing. It was just overall thinking about what I want to do. I look forward to seeing what the future holds."

His time in elective office is over, he said. "I've done a lot of things I set out to do."

With the decommissioning of the aircraft carrier USS Kennedy and all of Naval Station Mayport's frigates, he fought to bring in new ships. He also helped approve the 526-acre National Veterans Cemetery in Northside. And two years ago, he sponsored the ABLE Act, which created tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities.

Rep. Corrine Brown, who also represents Jacksonville, has not yet filed to run again for her seat, and she has already attracted a primary opponent. Rep. Ron DeSantis, who represents St. Johns County, is running for the U.S. Senate instead.

Losing DeSantis, Brown and Crenshaw at the same time would create a significant and rare shift in Jacksonville's voice in Washington. Before Crenshaw, only two people - Tillie Fowler and Charles Bennett - had represented that part of the city since 1949.

Crenshaw, like Fowler and Bennett before him, is known for his civility, said Chris Hand, former mayor Alvin Brown's chief of staff from 2011 to 2015.

"They each might've had a different take on the world politically or ideologically, but each of them prided themselves on being civil and working with colleagues and working across party lines," he said. "I think of his civility and the fact that he didn't feel the need to shout to be effective."

Throughout his career, Crenshaw has been praised for bipartisanship. In 1993, he spent a year as Florida Senate president, presiding over a body split 20-20 between Republicans and Democrats, forcing him to work to build a consensus on issues. The next year, he ran for governor and lost in the primary to Jeb Bush.

City Councilman Aaron Bowman, who served as commanding officer of Naval Station Mayport from 2007 to 2010, said during tough budgets, Crenshaw made sure Mayport was in good shape.

"We went through a period where things were looking pretty bleak to now where the future of the base is pretty good, and that was one of Ander's babies," Bowman said. "You always wonder what would've happened without him there, but with him being there, it certainly was a strong emphasis and a strong voice speaking for Northeast Florida."

Now, Bowman said, Northeast Florida will be vulnerable with brand-new member of Congress.

For example, he said, after Fowler took over for Bennett in 1992, Congress approved the closure of Naval Air Station Cecil Field.

"It's something that we as a community have to be very cognizant of. We've been in a very healthy, comfortable place for a number of years and that's going away for a couple of years."

Mayor Lenny Curry said Crenshaw had institutional knowledge and could get things done. His retirement, Curry said, was "a big loss for Jacksonville."

John Falconetti, a JaxPort board member, said that he "can't speak highly enough of Rep. Crenshaw and the tireless work he did to support JaxPort on multiple occasions and on multiple topics. There were many, many years, [and] Rep. Crenshaw was always there when JaxPort needed him."

Andrew Pantazi: (904) 359-4310, Tia Mitchell: (850) 933-1321