Assemblyman John F. McKeon (D-27) this morning released the following statement Tuesday in regard to running for Congress against U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen in 2018:

“As many of you may know, I have been thoughtfully considering a run for Congress in the 11^th district over the past few months. Last November created a new reality that many of us never believed could be. That, along with the failures of Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen to be responsive and respectful to his constituents and vote in a way consistent with New Jersey’s best interests, have made the 11^th district Congressional seat truly competitive.

“It has been the privilege of my professional life to serve as a Councilman, Mayor, and Member of the General Assembly representing the town I grew up and raised my family in. If the voters choose to return me to the Legislature this November, I will have the honor of serving as a senior member of the Assembly. With a Democratic Governor in Trenton, I hope to be an integral part of the solution as New Jersey faces some of its most challenging times. Therefore, at this time I have decided to not run for Congress next year. My heartfelt appreciation goes to my family, friends, party leaders, longtime supporters, the DCCC and the Members of Congress who encouraged and helped me with this process.

“Now, more than ever, we need a strong Democratic standard bearer to represent our values in the 2018 Congressional race.  There are many who formally and informally have expressed a willingness to take up that mantle here in the 11^th and I am convinced that any one of them would do so with honor and distinction, and ultimately be successful.  I plan to work with our party’s nominee as well as groups like NJ-11th for Change, BlueWaveNJ, and many others to assure a change in representation in the 11^th district in 2018 and beyond. No matter what, I will continue to speak out and challenge Representative Frelinghuysen on issues that impact New Jersey and our nation.”