Martha Roby Will Not Seek Re-Election In 2020

WASHINGTON, DC — In an announcement that likely did not shock GOP insiders, Rep. Martha Roby said Friday she will not seek re-election in 2020. Roby, who has represented District 2 for the last 10 years, did not give a reason for her decision.

Roby's seat was the only one in Alabama that appeared in doubt going into the 2018 elections, as Roby failed to get a majority vote in the GOP primary, although she ended up defeating Democrat Tabitha Isner in the general election.

Roby received some criticism from her party in 2016 when she said she would not back then-candidate Donald Trump due to what she saw as sexist attitudes toward women. She eventually came around and supported the president, but the issue may have made her unpopular in the GOP.

“Throughout my five terms in Congress, I have cast every vote with the deciding principle that Alabama always comes first,” Roby said in a press release. “Together, we have been able to deliver some incredible results for our military, veterans, agriculture community and the unborn.”

Alabama is expected to lose a congressional seat after the next census, and most believe the impact of that will leave District 2 with a much different demographic makeup.