United States House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Wednesday he will not seek re-election to the Congress later this year. Ryan’s term ends in January 2019. He has represented Wisconsin’s 1st District in the lower chamber since 1999.

Nearly 30 House Republicans have already announced they will not seek re-election, according to the BBC. The Democratic Party needs just 23 more seats in the 435-member Lower House to get a majority.

The Congressional elections are due in November. Ryan said the majority of the Republican Party was “in good hands and with a bright future”.

The 48-year-old said he was retiring to focus on his family. “You all know that I did not seek this job,” he said. “I took it reluctantly. But I have given this job everything. I have no regrets whatsoever for having accepted this responsibility. But the truth is it’s easy for it to take over everything in your life and you can’t just let that happen.”

He said he did not want to be known by his children as “only a weekend dad”.

President Donald Trump said Ryan is a “truly good man”. “While he will not be seeking re-election, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!”

Ryan was the Republican vice presidential running mate for Mitt Romney in 2012.