Illinois Republican Rep. Shimkus won’t run again in 2020

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois says he won’t run for re-election in 2020 after more than 20 years in Congress.

Shimkus says the job has been “the honor of my lifetime.” But he says it’s also been a sacrifice for his wife and three sons, who now are adults.

He represents the 15th District, an area that includes all or part of 33 counties stretching from the central part of Illinois to near the southern tip. Shimkus was first elected in 1996, winning a seat in the 20th District by just 1,200 votes.

The 61-year-old Shimkus, a Collinsville resident, has since coasted against Democratic challengers and didn’t have a general election opponent in 2016. He won his last race in 2018 with 70 percent of the vote.

Shimkus is the third-ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.