Harper won't seek re-election

Longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper will not seek a sixth term this year because of family considerations and because he never planned for it to be a career.

"(Family) is one aspect of it, but I never intended to make this a career and 10 years is really a long time to serve," Harper said in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger on Thursday. "It's been the most incredible experience ... I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I never planned to spend my entire life up here."

Haper said he and his wife, Sidney, "did not make this decision lightly."

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"We really had been considering and contemplating this for two years," Harper said.

He said politics in Washington have been tough in recent years, but that wasn't a driver of his decision.

"Certainly a lot of frustration goes along with serving in Washington, D.C., but there are a great group of members I serve with up here, and I have a really great staff," Harper said. "... It was intended for people to be a citizen legislator for a period of time and not stay there ... Of course, I have a grandbaby coming in July, and having more control over my schedule is really appealing, too."

Harper, an attorney, said he's not sure what he will do after he finishes out the final year of his term.

Harper, 61, has served in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District that includes parts of the Metro Area since 2009, when he replaced former Rep. Chip Pickering. He was up for re-election this year, with a March qualifying deadline for the race and thus far had not appeared to face a serious challenger.

Harper has been considered a rising star in the GOP House leadership. He is the highest-ranking member of the Mississippi U.S. House delegation and the only member to hold a full committee chairmanship, leading the Committee on House Administration, a post to which Speaker of the House Paul Ryan appointed him in 2016. As chair of the CHA, Harper oversees federal elections and any disputes over them, the Capitol and House and Senate buildings, Capitol Police and the Library of Congress and Smithsonian museums.

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More recently, Harper was named chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. The subcommittee conducts investigations and provides oversight on telecommunications, consumer protection, food and drug safety, public health and research, energy policy, interstate and foreign policy and any other matters under the jurisdiction of the full committee.

As chairman of the House Administration Committee, Harper has had a high profile role in discussions about addressing sexual harassment concerns on Capitol Hill. Harper’s committee has held several hearings on the topic and pushed to made anti-sexual harassment training mandatory.

Harper had also been considered a likely successor to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, should he retire or not seek re-election.

Cochran on Thursday issued a statement calling Harper "a good friend who has represented our state well."

"Gregg Harper has been a hardworking and dedicated congressman and it has been a pleasure to work with him," Cochran said.

Gov. Phil Bryant thanked Harper for his friendship and service to the state.

"His dedication has made our state stronger, and I wish him and his wonderful family the best upon his retirement," Bryant said.

State GOP Chairman Lucien Smith thanked Harper for his service and said, "I look forward to working with his successor to advance conservative policies at the national level."

Already by Thursday afternoon, some Republican names were surfacing as potential candidates for Harper's seat — which would be expected to remain in the red column — including: Michael Guest, district attorney for Madison and Rankin counties; state Treasurer Lynn Fitch; state Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith; state Reps. Mark Baker and Andy Gipson; state Sens. Sally Doty and Josh Harkins; Neshoba County Chancery Judge Joey Kilgore and Ridgeland businessman Gerard Gibert.

Harper thanked his family for its support in a written statement: