'It's time for me to take a pause': State Rep. Tom Morrison won't seek reelection
A conservative financial watchdog for more than a decade in the General Assembly, state Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine won't seek reelection this year, he announced Tuesday.
Morrison, a Republican who's represented the 54th District since 2011, called serving the people of the 54th District "a distinct honor and privilege."
"I'm very grateful to our residents for entrusting me with this position," Morrison said in his statement.
In a subsequent interview, Morrison said personal and family-related factors led to his decision.
"I've fought hard for conservative Republican principles in Springfield and locally ... but it's time for me to take a pause from this position and contribute in other ways," Morrison said.
Morrison last won reelection in 2020, defeating Democrat Maggie Trevor of Rolling Meadows. He said he'll complete his two-year term.
For the last decade, the 54th District has included parts of Palatine, Inverness, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, Barrington and Schaumburg. Its boundaries will change starting with the 2022 election cycle because of population changes revealed by the 2020 U.S. census.
Under the new map, Morrison's neighborhood and other parts of what had been the 54th District were drawn into the 51st, which now is represented by Republican Chris Bos of Lake Zurich.
Unlike members of the U.S. House, Illinois state lawmakers must live in the districts they represent.
In Tuesday's interview, Morrison endorsed Bos for the post.
In a separate interview, Bos credited Morrison for working hard to serve his community.
"I wish him well on whatever his next steps are," Bos said.
When asked to pick a highlight or two from his political career, Morrison touted his work on pension reform, among other topics. It was a cause in which he believed so strongly that he opted out of the state pension system - a rare move at the time.
"I wanted to lead by example and demonstrate what it would take to restore the state's financial footing," he said.
Morrison also touted his 2019 call for then-Speaker Michael Madigan to resign amid a federal bribery investigation. Madigan ultimately was ousted as speaker in January 2021 and resigned his House seat the following month.