SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) announced Friday morning that he will not seek a fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives in this fall’s mid-term Congressional elections.
The Congressman, age 59, disclosed his plans in a letter to supporters, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Katko was first elected to Congress in 2014, defeating Democrat Dan Maffei for the House seat representing New York’s 24th Congressional District. Before that, the Republican had served as a federal organized-crime prosecutor in Syracuse for about 15 years.
Katko easily won re-election in 2016, defeating Colleen Deacon. In the 2018 and 2020 elections, he fended off challenges from Dana Balter in highly contentious races with millions of dollars spent on negative TV ads from both sides.
Congressman Katko was one of just 10 Republicans in the House who voted to impeach Donald Trump in his second impeachment in January 2021, following the riot on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol.
Katko was born in Syracuse in 1962. He graduated from Bishop Ludden High School, and then earned a bachelor’s degree from Niagara University and law degree from Syracuse University.