U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, an Illinois Democrat who has battled Parkinson's disease for more than a decade, will not run for re-election.
'This is a tough day for me,' Evans, 54, said in a statement. He added that he has 'come to recognize that the time needed to address my health makes it difficult to wage a campaign and carry out my work as representative.'
Evans is the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and a leading member on the Armed Services Committee.
The Rock Island Democrat was first elected 24 years ago. Among other things, he adopted a pro-LGBT stance on issues ranging from same-sex marriage and gays in the military to gay adoption. The ACLU rated him at 86 percent, indicating someone who has a strong pro-civil rights voting record.
Various political officials issued statements in response to the development. 'His work will be missed by those of us who serve with him on Capitol Hill, and he most certainly will be missed by the citizens he represents,' said U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, in a separate statement, said, 'I don't know many people who are more courageous than Lane Evans. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Illinois and on behalf of veterans across this country despite extraordinarily challenging physical ailments.'
Local Democratic officials will decide Evans's replacement on the November ballot.