Victoria Spartz says she’s running for reelection, reversing her decision to retire from Congress

By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN

GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz announced Monday that she intends to file for reelection for her House seat, a rare move in that she reversed her decision last year to retire from Congress.

“Deciding where your duty lies – family, work, or country, is never an easy task. Earlier last year, I decided to take some time off from running for public office to recharge and spend more time in Indiana with my family,” the Indiana congresswoman said in a statement Monday.

She added, “However, looking where we are today, and urged by many of my constituents, I do not believe I would be able to deliver this Congress, with the current failed leadership in Washington, D.C., on the important issues for our nation that I have worked very hard on.”

Politico first reported on her decision to seek reelection.

Spartz is a Ukrainian-born American citizen who immigrated to the US in 2000. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and emerged as a leading Republican voice for a strong US response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In her retirement announcement last year, Spartz said she needed to spend more time with her two daughters and wouldn’t seek office in 2024.

Already, the race for the 5th Congressional District has attracted several GOP candidates, including state Rep. Chuck Goodrich, former House staffer Max Engling and local businessman Raju Chinthala.

Candidates have until Friday to file their declaration of candidacy.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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