Rep. Mark Keller, R-Perry County, announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of his term of office that expires Nov. 30.

Keller said in a news release announcing his intention to put a punctuation mark on his 14-year legislative career, “over the past several months, I have reflected on this amazing opportunity; and while it is a difficult decision, I have decided to join my wife, Sally, in the ranks of retirement and will not seek re-election once my term wraps up in November 2020.”

Among the highlights of his time in office that he cited were having former Gov. Tom Corbett sign into law seven of Keller’s bills dealing with municipal government operations all in one day, advocating for agriculture, clarifying rules for his profession of auctioneering, securing jobs and additional tax credits for rural communities, and cultivating relationships with people.

“The best part of this career has always been the people," said Keller, who served as a Perry County commissioner for nine years before joining the General Assembly. “The countless relationships fostered over time are what I treasure most. Seeing friendly faces at the Perry County Fair, our annual Senior Citizens Expo, the Farmers’ Breakfast and the various public seminars have been some of the most enjoyable moments of my tenure. Not breaking from tradition, I am looking forward to hosting these events in the coming year.”

Keller also expressed appreciation to staff members Paula Stiffler, Kori Weikle, Kristin McGee, Allyson Shaffer, and Patience Hill who assisted him in carrying out his legislative duties and constituent services over the years. He also voiced gratitude to the people who put him in office to be the voice of the 86th state House District.

“I want to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to the constituents of the 86th District for placing your trust in me over the years. I never felt like this position was a job, but rather a humbling opportunity and tremendous responsibility to be the voice for our conservative, rural community in Harrisburg. Your unwavering support provided the strength I needed to power through times of challenge and adversity. For this, I can never give enough thanks," he said.

“Still, there is much work to be done! I am looking forward to serving out the rest of my term and pledge to keep working hard for you until my term concludes in November 2020.”

Keller becomes the eighth in a string of lawmakers who have announced their intention to step down when their term is over.

His House district includes all of Perry County as well as Hopewell, Shippensburg and Southampton townships and Newburg and a portion of Shippensburg in Cumberland County.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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