Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (OH-15) announced that she will not seek re-election in 2008.
In a statement she delivered from her district office, Pryce stated, "I have been honored and humbled to serve as the representative of Ohio’s 15th district for almost 15 years.
Time passes quickly when you love your job and are rewarded daily by the opportunity to make a difference for the community you love – the community where I went to college, law school, started my career, and started a family. It has truly been a labor of love."
Pryce has a family that includes a small daughter, ready to start kindergarten, and two aging parents. She said life has required her to take the next step and go forward and that time is now.
"I do not make this decision lightly, but with confidence that it is the right one," Pryce stated. "Be assured, that until the 110th Congress adjourns, I will continue to do the job you elected me to do and serve you with all the energy and passion you sent me to Washington with in 1992."
Pryce also thanked her staff, several of whom have been with her throughout the course of her congressional career.
Pryce remarked, "They are all dedicated to their country and the constituents they serve. They have helped countless individuals – making a real difference in people’s lives. I want to thank them on behalf of our community and from the bottom of my heart."
First elected in 1992, Pryce is serving her eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. During her time in Congress, Pryce was elected by her Republican colleagues as conference chairman, a position she held from 2002-2006, making her the highest-ranking Republican woman ever in the U.S. House.
She served on the House Rules Committee for 10 years, and is currently a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, where she serves as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises.
In addition to her extensive work on financial services issues, including privacy, data breach, and terrorism risk insurance, Pryce is known as an advocate for women and children, sponsoring many legislative initiatives to fight abuse, promote adoption, advance quality health care, and prevent cancer.
Pryce is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital Law School. She served as a prosecutor and judge in Franklin County before her election to Congress.
