U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle won't seek another term in office

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle said Monday he will serve out the rest of his 14th term in office but not seek reelection next year.

“I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation,” said Doyle, 68, a Democrat from Forest Hills.

Doyle is the most senior member of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation.

“Almost 27 years ago, Pittsburghers chose me to be their voice in Washington, D.C.,” Doyle said. “It’s an honor and a privilege that I really never thought possible growing up in a blue-collar family in Swissvale, son of a steelworker — but, you know, in America, all things are possible.”

“I stood by the people of Pittsburgh and they stood by me,” Doyle said, announcing he’ll retire after his current term ends. pic.twitter.com/05MwkxLyB7

— Julia Felton (@JuliaFelton16) October 18, 2021

Doyle’s congressional district encompasses Pittsburgh and dozens of suburban communities in southern and eastern Allegheny County.

The district’s boundaries are expected to change as part of the redistricting process — and Doyle predicted that would “most likely push (part of the district) outside of Allegheny County.”

“This is a good transition time for a new member to start in a newly drawn district,” Doyle said, adding that he timed the announcement to leave plenty of time for would-be candidates to raise money and campaign for the congressional seat he is vacating.

Joe DiSarro, a political science professor at Washington & Jefferson College, predicted the district would remain heavily Democratic.

“I think this will be a very interesting political battle among the Democratic Party,” DiSarro said, adding he anticipates several candidates will come forward to run for the seat.

Doyle rarely has been tested in his past election bids. After winning his first congressional race by 9.6 percentage points and then coming out on top in a four-way race by 15.6 percentage points in his first reelection bid in 1996, Doyle never won a November race by fewer than 35 percentage points — and on four occasions, he was unopposed.

In losing Doyle, Pennsylvania is losing its most senior congressman and the clout that comes with seniority. Doyle served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chairing its subcommittee on communications and technology and also sitting on its energy subcommittee.

“Seniority matters in congressional committees and the ability to get your particular goals or programs through Congress,” said G. Terry Madonna, senior fellow in residence for political affairs at Millersville University. “The more senior members of Congress that you have, the more likely your state is to benefit. They’re in a better position to influence the outcomes.”

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said the congressman was instrumental in securing funding that “jumpstarted development in East Liberty, opened up the North Shore (funding for the North Shore Connector) and provided investment in technological innovations and robotics in Hazelwood Green and Lawrenceville.”

With Doyle’s support, Fitzgerald said, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense have provided funding “to spur on what is happening at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence and life science.”

Fitzgerald called Doyle “the best congressman that Pittsburgh has ever had,” adding that he was a mentor to him and many other local officials.

Mayor Bill Peduto added: “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has led our region through financial hardship, pivoting economies, new technologies and a global pandemic. He has always put the people of Pittsburgh first and ensured that our residents and neighborhoods had the federal support they needed for investments, improvements and services.”