Republican Rep. Ryan Costello (Pa.) announced Sunday that he will not seek reelection in his suburban Philadelphia district, citing the level of hatred that has permeated the national political environment, especially “from the left.”
Costello, a two-term congressman, confirmed his retirement to the Daily Local News. He cited the current tumultuous “political environment” as a primary factor in his decision to leave Congress.
“I think there is a lot of hate out there, from the left especially, and it’s a very angry environment,” Costello said. “It is a sad commentary on the state of our culture and political environment. It’s not me doing it, but I am the one who gets the brunt of it.”
“It’s not the kind of environment I want to raise my kids in,” Costello continued. “Some of the stuff that gets said about me, some of the things that people do, I find extremely distasteful. Now is the time to take the appropriate look at the environment and say, even upon winning in November I think the way things are going to be baked into the cake through 2020, and I am not interested in putting my family through that.”
Read more at the Washington Examiner.
