Rep. Pat Tiberi announced Thursday that he will be leaving Congress by the end of next January, capping 16 years representing his central Ohio congressional district.

In a statement released at 10 a.m., Tiberi said he would not be seeking re-election. Instead, he'll serve as president of the Ohio Business Roundtable.

“It has been the most remarkable honor of my life to serve the people of the 12th District," he said. "As the son of Italian immigrants, I am forever grateful for the opportunity my parents gave me by coming to America and raising our family in Ohio. It was because of their pursuit of the American Dream that made it possible for me to serve 17 years in the halls of Congress representing my home. This truly is the greatest country in the world."

He said his new job would allow him "to continue to work on public policy issues impacting Ohioans while also spending more time with my family." Tiberi and his wife Denice have four daughters.

While the exact timing of his exit is unclear, Tiberi, a Genoa Township Republican, plans to leave by the end of next January.

Tiberi will replace Richard Stoff, the founder and current president of the Ohio Business Roundtable, who announced in July that he was retiring at the end of this year. Stoff's compensation totaled $692,038 in 2015, according to the group's IRS filings. A U.S. House member makes $174,000 a year, plus benefits.

“Congressman Tiberi’s tenure in the Ohio Statehouse, his time in the U.S. Congress and his position on the House Committee on Ways and Means, have given him a deep insight into the needs of Ohio businesses and the legislative and regulatory matters we face,” said Gary R. Heminger, chairman of the Ohio Business Roundtable's executive committee.

“We are proud to welcome him to the Ohio Business Roundtable and look forward to his leadership," said Heminger, the chief executive officer of Findlay-based Marathon Petroleum Corp.

Sources close to Tiberi said a variety of factors played into his exit. His mother died earlier this year and his father is in ill health. House Speaker Paul Ryan last year bypassed Tiberi to select Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, as the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, despite the fact that Tiberi had support from the majority of his colleagues on the Republican Steering Committee.

Read more: Who will run to replace Pat Tiberi?

“Pat Tiberi has brought great decency and relentless passion to this House," Ryan said Thursday. "During our time together on the Ways and Means Committee, I was always struck by his deeply felt commitment to helping hardworking people get ahead and have more opportunities. He takes so seriously what it means to serve."

Tiberi also felt a loss when House Speaker John Boehner retired in 2015. The two were close political allies, with Tiberi benefiting politically from his close friendship with the West Chester Republican.

A dysfunctional political environment in Washington was also a factor, said a source close to Tiberi.

But Olivia Hnat, a spokeswoman for Tiberi, said the decision fit best for his life.

“Congressman Tiberi has worked tirelessly for the people of Ohio’s 12th District," she said. "He is proud of his accomplishments and has always worked to be a positive and effective leader on the Hill. He will continue to do so to move tax reform forward. As he said, he didn’t make this decision lightly and it was the best decision for his family at this time.”

Tiberi's decision started an immediate flurry of state lawmakers lining up to replace him in a special election next year — as well as hopes from Democrats that they might be able to retake the seat, which Tiberi won with 67 percent of the vote last year. Candidates face four elections — the special primary and general election for the unexpired term and the regular May primary and November election for the term beginning in 2019.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Communications Director Meredith Kelly released a statement saying Tiberi was "throwing in the towel."

"We will take a close look at all factors in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, including candidate strength and timing of a potential special election, and if we determine this district gets us closer to that goal, we will be in the fight," she said.

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Tiberi, who represents Ohio’s 12th congressional district, had considered running for the U.S. Senate in 2018. He ended that speculation in May, announcing that he didn’t want a Senate campaign to take time away from working on tax reform from his position as a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Tiberi had more than $6.6 million in campaign funds at the beginning of the month.

Tiberi, 54, was elected to the House in 2000, replacing John Kasich, who had once hired him as an aide in Kasich's congressional office in Columbus. Tiberi, who grew up in Columbus, also served four terms in the Ohio House in the 1990s.

He is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s subcommittee on health and is currently chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, a House-Senate committee that examines economic issues. And earlier this year, he became the chairman of the House "Main Street Caucus," a group of moderate Republicans who billed themselves as the "governing" wing of the Republican Party.

Only two other members of the 16-member Ohio delegation have served longer: Rep. Marcy Kaptur was elected in 1983 and Rep. Steve Chabot in 1995, save for a two-year period when Chabot’s seat was held by a Democrat.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Tiberi’s departure is “a loss.

“He’s a terrific member, but he’s also an ally of mine,” Portman said, saying the two worked together on health care and tax reform. “He just lost his mom, he loves his family and wants to spend more time with them. But I am going to miss him a lot.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he wished Tiberi well. "I think that his leadership will be missed," he said.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken said Tiberi served "with unquestionable integrity and determination."

"While it is hard to see Congressman Tiberi leave, the Ohio Republican Party wishes him the best of luck and thanks him for all he has done to strengthen our party and our state," she said.

Tiberi's decision to leave puts him in a growing club of Republicans who are opting to leave Congress: Reps. Dave Reichert of Washington, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, Dave Trott of Michigan and Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania have announced their plans to leave in recent days, as has Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.

The timing of the special elections next year depends on when Tiberi resigns. When Boehner resigned from his seat in late 2015, it took four and one-half months to stage the March 15, 2016 primary and nearly another three months for the June 7, 2016 election won by Republican Warren Davidson.

The reliably Republican 12th District takes in northern Franklin County suburbs and all of Delaware, Morrow and Licking counties. It includes parts of Marion, Muskingum and Richland counties.

Dispatch reporters Randy Ludlow, Michael Dulman and Jim Siegel contributed to this story.

jwehrman@dispatch.com

@jessicawehrman

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