Story highlights Republican Rep. Ed Royce's district has shifted rapidly to the left

Royce was campaigning for a 14th term and was first elected to Congress in 1992

(CNN) California Republican Rep. Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will not seek re-election in November, he announced Monday, providing Democrats a pickup opportunity in a district that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

In a statement, Royce called it "truly an honor" to represent his Orange County district, and said that in his final year leading the foreign affairs panel, he wants to "focus fully on the urgent threats facing our nation, including: the brutal, corrupt and dangerous regimes in Pyongyang and Tehran, Vladimir Putin's continued efforts to weaponize information to fracture western democracies, and growing terrorist threats in Africa and Central Asia."

"With this in mind, and with the support of my wife Marie, I have decided not to seek reelection in November," Royce said.

Royce marks the seventh House GOP committee chairman who opted to retire or run for other office this cycle in what is shaping up to be a challenging midterm election year for Republicans. Democrats need to pick up 24 House seats to retake the majority from Republicans.

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