(WWJ) -- US Rep. Brenda Lawrence is ready to call it quits after 30 years in office.
The 67-year-old Congresswoman announced her plans to retire on Tuesday evening via Twitter.
"This year marks my 30th year in elected public service, and I've had the good fortune of serving Michiganders on the local and national level," she wrote. "After reflecting on my journey & having conversations with my family, I'm announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to Congress."
In the video, Lawrence mentions the recent redrawing of voting district maps in Michigan, but does not say whether or not it influenced her decision to retire.
First elected to US Congress in 2014, Lawrence represents the 14th District of Michigan as a Democrat.
After graduating from Detroit Pershing High School and earning a degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, Lawrence had a long career with the US Postal Service before turning to public office.
She later became president of the Southfield Public Schools Board of Education, and then president of the Southfield City Council. In 1999, she was elected as mayor of Southfield, becoming the first African American and the first woman to serve in that position.
Lawrence's term officially ends on Jan 3, 2023, and she says she will continue to fight to pass laws to protect voting and women's rights, as well as the environment, as she wraps up a storied career in public service.
