U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan to retire
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The U.S. Congress' most powerful lawmaker said he would not stand for another term in his Wisconsin district this November, and would retire in January having served in Congress for 20 years.
Mr Ryan, who has had an often-strained relationship with US President Donald Trump, made the announcement on Wednesday local time, portraying it as a decision to spend more time with his family. He has three children.
It sets up a distracting House leadership succession struggle at a time when Republicans are trying to fend off Democratic efforts to seize control of Congress in the mid-term elections in November.
The 48-year-old, who was the Republican Party's failed 2012 vice-presidential nominee and reluctantly agreed to become speaker in 2015, joins nearly 30 House Republicans who have announced this year they are retiring outright.
"You all know that I did not seek this job," he said, "I took it reluctantly". ■