Former Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, in a heartfelt post on his Facebook page Sunday, announced that he will not run next year against Democrat Jared Golden for the 2nd District seat.

Poliquin’s Facebook post starts off by saying that “family always comes first.” The 65-year-old Poliquin said he plans to spend his time caring for his aging father and mother, who are 91 and 89, respectively.

Poliquin said his parents devoted their lives to raising him and his brother, Jim Poliquin, who died a few years ago.

“I became my parents’ only surviving child. They devoted their lives to raising Jim and me. Now, it’s my turn and responsibility to help care for them,” Poliquin wrote. “I love them dearly. I’m very involved in their lives.”

Poliquin points out that serving Maine’s 2nd District – the largest district east of the Mississippi River – is more than a full-time job.

Last year Golden defeated Poliquin, who had served two terms, becoming the first member of Congress to be elected by ranked-choice voting. Golden took office in January. Poliquin did not rule out a run for Congress in 2022.

“I’m itching to run again to right the rank voting scam which gave my win – our win – on Election Day to the candidate who came in second place,” Poliquin said in his post. “I’m eager to help our president secure our borders and stop the invasion of illegal aliens.”

“There are lots of ways I’m already helping Republicans win next November. Then we’ll see what the future holds for 2022,” he said. “We’re not done yet. God Bless.”

The Maine Republican Party posted a reaction on its Facebook page Sunday.

“We completely understand and respect Bruce’s decision. It is the right decision for him and as a party we believe family comes first,” the post says. “We look forward to supporting our nominee and delivering victory in a district that strongly supports President Trump’s agenda.”

The Republican Party said it has been contacted by several individuals  who have expressed an interest in Golden’s seat.

Republican Eric Brakey, a former state senator, has indicated that he is likely to run for Congress next year against Golden. Brakey has formed an exploratory committee and will announce this summer whether he will pursue a run.

Golden has said recently that he is not worried about Brakey and would “welcome anyone to run” against him.

Brakey gave no indication Sunday that he would be withdrawing from his bid to unseat Golden.

“Thank you Congressman Bruce Poliquin for your service to Maine and America! I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ve seen of your leadership,” Brakey said in a post on his Facebook page “Eric Brakey for Congress.”