Republican Congressman Tom Reed of New York announced Tuesday that he will resign his seat, effective at the end of the day, cutting his last term a few months short. Reed announced his retirement from Congress in March 2021 after being accused of sexual misconduct.
“It has been an honor to serve with you all from both parties. I love this institution as it still exemplifies what is best about our government, we are the People’s house. While I am proud that we put people before politics, there is much more to do,” Reed said on the House floor. He is leaving to join Prime Policy Group, a Washington D.C. bipartisan lobbying group.
“My most profound appreciation is for the people of Western New York. Thank you for giving a country lawyer, the youngest of 12, raised by a single mother whose father passed away when he was only two, the honor of representing you at the highest level. Only in America can such a dream come true,” he added.
Reed was accused of inappropriately touching a female lobbyist in 2017. He acknowledged the incident in an apology in March of 2021 and said the incident occurred “at a time in my life in which I was struggling.”
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
What specific district Reed is leaving behind is still up in the air, with the congressional map in New York currently being drawn by a “special master” appointed by the state’s highest court.
Reed has represented New York’s 23rd district since 2010. Republican Claudia Tenney of New York’s 22nd district had declared she would run to fill Reed’s seat, after Democrats dismantled her district in central New York.
Reed was a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House and served on the Ways and Means committee.
He is the 22nd House Republican to either retire, run for another office, resign or die this cycle. By comparison, over 30 House Democrats have said they’re leaving this cycle.
