Republican Rep. Chris Gibson will not run for governor in 2018 despite his previous flirtations with a bid.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, Gibson said he has accepted a position as a visiting lecturer on leadership at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., roughly an hour drive from his Kinderhook home. He will begin that gig in February 2017.

“Ultimately, for our family, the opportunity to spend increased time together balanced with a return to academia was one we could not pass up,” Gibson said. “Therefore, I will not be running for Governor in 2018. At the conclusion of my term in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will be leaving politics and starting this new direction with my family. In the near-term, I will be closing my exploratory committee. For our donors to that committee, we’ll be refunding contributions we’ve received.”

Gibson will remain the 19th Congressional District’s representative until the end of the year, when his term, his third as a congressman, expires. Gibson had previously pledged to limit himself to four terms in Congress, though in early 2015 he announced he would forgo the fourth term, fueling speculation about his future plans.

The Republican formed a state committee earlier this year so he could begin to fundraise for his “exploration” of a gubernatorial bid.

“I think this state is starving for truth and leadership,” he said in February. “Given my background, I’ve seen the human condition under some of the most austere and difficult circumstances imaginable, led men and women in combat, had to bring people together to get hard things done. In the Congress I have continued with that approach, using the appropriate judgement and temperament to get things done.”

Gibson and Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, the 2014 GOP gubernatorial candidate, have both been considered as 2018 contenders. Harry Wilson, a former candidate for comptroller, also has been circulated as a possible candidate.

Astorino called Gibson “a good man who has served our nation and our state with distinction, pride and integrity.”

“While he is leaving the political arena, I hope that he will continue to be a voice for New Yorkers who are suffering in a stagnant economy and a state government under a massive cloud of corruption,” Astorino said in a statement. “I will always count Chris a friend, and wish him and his family all the best in this new endeavor. I’m confident this won’t be the last we hear of him.”

Incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has said he plans to remain in office “as long as the people have me.”

The full statement from Gibson is below: