Rep. Lynn Westmoreland's district is safely Republican. | AP Photo Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland to retire

Six-term Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), a longstanding and respected conservative in the House Republican Conference, announced his retirement Thursday, saying it "it is time to pass the torch to our next conservative voice.

"Washington, D.C. is a much different environment in 2016 than when I was elected in 2004," Westmoreland said in a statement.


The 65-year-old Westmoreland often served as a bridge between former Speaker John Boehner and House GOP hardliners. He served in leadership on the whip team and backed Boehner, an Ohio Republican, during his multiple speaker elections.

The Georgian flirted with a run for speaker last fall after Boehner announced his retirement, but stepped aside when now-Speaker Paul Ryan announced his intention to see the post.

Westmoreland at the time pitched his ability to connect leadership with conservatives; the rift within the GOP conference ultimately cost Boehner his job.

Westmoreland's district, which includes the southern suburbs of Atlanta, is safely Republican. But the election to replace the 65-year-old lawmaker may still be hard-fought during the primary. A trio of open GOP primaries in Georgia last election devolved into proxy fights over Republican leadership, with some candidates running on a pledge not to vote for Boehner for speaker of the House.

Westmoreland is a member of the House committee investigating the Benghazi terrorist attacks and the House Committee on Intelligence.

The retirement could be a preamble to a statewide run for Westmoreland, who has openly talked about running for governor in the past.

"I look forward to this next chapter in my life; returning to my community and spending more time with family and friends," he said in the statement.

Scott Bland contributed.