New York Democrat Representative Brian Higgins announced his resignation from Congress on Sunday, citing his discontent with the current political atmosphere as his primary motivator.
Higgins, 64, said at a press conference that he thinks now is a critical time for change. The first week of February will mark his last week in office before his term officially ends in January 2025. Higgins remarked that the Congress he first entered 19 years ago is “very different place today.”
I went to Congress 19 years ago, and it’s a very different place now. Higgins remarked how the world has changed significantly. More time is being spent on fewer activities. And the people of the United States are being ignored.
Higgins’s announcement follows those of several other congressmen who have said they will not run again in 2020. Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) announced last week that he will not be running for reelection.
A special election for the 26th Congressional District, which includes portions of Erie and Niagara counties, is slated to be held in the spring after the unexpected announcement of Higgins’ early resignation. There is a heavy Democratic majority in the district.
Higgins, looking back on his time in Congress, said that while he did hope to make a difference, he started out with more modest ambitions, like improving his own neighborhood. During his 19 years in office, he oversaw many good developments, which he credited to a combination of collaborative efforts and devoted individuals.
Higgins spent his time in Washington working to improve Buffalo’s future while taking a low profile approach to his duties. Buffalo’s waterfront renaissance would not have been possible without the $279 million settlement he negotiated with the New York Power Authority. Higgins was originally elected in 2004, and throughout his first term he faced criticism to his plans for the city’s growth and regeneration.