ALBANY – State Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan joins a number of Republican senators who will not seek re-election this fall.

Flanagan, who has served in the state Legislature for more than three decades, said Wednesday the move is "the best decision for me and my family." The timing of the announcement, he said, "is not particularly ideal," but was made in light of the state's political calendar.

His announcement follows that of eight other Republican senators who have said they will not seek re-election this fall.

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"The gift and privilege of being elected by my colleagues to be the Senate Majority leader is an honor I will always cherish, and I recognize that with that position comes an immense responsibility to work for the betterment of all New Yorkers," he said in a statement. "It is a fact that continues to be the cornerstone of all my thinking and actions as the Leader of the Republican Conference in the Senate today."

The Suffolk County GOP confirmed Wednesday that Flanagan was endorsed by the party for the 2nd Senate District, which covers parts of Long Island in the downstate county. County GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia said Flanagan declined the designation by the March 24 deadline, which allows the county committee to fill the vacancy. The deadline to announce the candidate to fill the vacancy is March 30, and Garcia said the party is working with other minor parties to ensure whoever is selected also appears on those lines during the election.

"While I was saddened by his decision, I certainly understand it," Garcia said. "We will confer over the next couple of days on potential replacements."

The long-time elected official followed in the footsteps of his father, the late John J. Flanagan, taking over his father’s Assembly seat in 1986 after the elder Flanagan’s death.

The younger Flanagan was first elected to the Senate in 2002 and ascended to majority leader in 2015 to succeed Dean Skelos, who was ousted after his arrest on federal corruption charges. Skelos later was found guilty and sentenced to four years and three months in prison on bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges.

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay expressed disappointment over Flanagan's announcement but wished the senator well.

"I'm sure that this was an extremely difficult decision for him to reach. Few things were more important to him than serving the people of his district and our state," Barclay said in a statement. "Since joining the state Assembly in 1987, John has always been a tireless advocate for the people of Long Island. Over the years, he earned the respect of his peers on both sides of the aisle. His leadership will be greatly missed in the Legislature, in his district and across New York state."

Flanagan has been best known in recent years as chair of the chamber's Education Committee, where his voice has been heard amid the bruising debates over the Common Core and education funding.

Two of the fiercest opponents in the current education wars, the New York State United Teachers union and the pro-charter school group StudentsFirstNY, lauded him -- respectively -- for understanding the deep concerns of students, parents and educators, and for being a champion of school choice expansion.

In August 2017, Flanagan revealed that he had sought treatment for alcoholism, and went in for additional treatment in 2019.