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Pennsylvania Republican bows out to avoid showdown against fellow House GOP lawmaker

Rep. Fred Keller had been set to face off against Rep. Dan Meuser because of redistricting.
Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., speaking at a Republican Study Committee press conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 2, 2021.
Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., at a Republican Study Committee news conference on Capitol Hill on Nov. 2.Michael Brochstein / Sipa USA via AP file

Rep. Fred Keller, R-Pa., announced Monday he won’t run for re-election this fall, making him the 14th Republican to say they won't seek another House term.

Keller, who has served in the House since 2019, said he didn't want to challenge fellow GOP Rep. Dan Meuser for the seat in a congressional district near Harrisburg that was affected by redistricting.

"With control of Congress & the direction of our nation at stake, this election is bigger than any one person. Rather than pit Republicans against Republicans, which the congressional map chosen by the liberal PA Supreme Court does, I am committed to helping take back the House, holding Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat, and electing a conservative Governor," Keller said in a statement on Twitter.

"To that end, I am not going to run against another member of Pennsylvania’s Republican Congressional Delegation."

Both Keller and Meuser objected to the certification of Pennsylvania's 2020 presidential vote, casting votes of disapproval after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Democrats are far outpacing their GOP colleagues when it comes to calling it quits in the House. Thirty-one House Democrats have said they won't seek re-election, including Ted Deutch of Florida, who announced earlier in the day that he would instead serve as the next CEO of the American Jewish Committee.