Congressman Buyer won't seek reelection

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI) - Indiana Congressman Steve Buyer (R-4th District) announced he will not seek reelection during a news conference Friday morning.

The news conference began at 11:00 a.m. at the IU Medical Center in Indianpolis. Buyer was joined by several family members, including his wife, Joni.

Buyer appeared emotional at the conference, wiping tears from his eyes and speaking with a voice that frequently shook. He announced his retirement from the army reserves and said he would not seek reelection after the conclusion of his term.

Buyer said that his motivation for these decisions was his wife's health. He said doctors said his wife was suffering from an incurable autoimmune disease.

"I will not call it incurable, because it’s our faith that allows us to believe that all diseases can be cured," said Buyer.

Buyer said his wife's sister also suffered from this disease, and died from it about 21 months ago. Buyer said his wife had been advised to "de-stress" her life.

Buyer has represented Lafayette in the US House since 1992, when he upset Democrat Jim Jontz. He represents the court district, which stretches through a line of counties from Monticello through Lafayette to Bedford. It skirts the west side of Indianapolis.

In 1998, Buyer served as a prosecutor in President Clinton’s impeachment hearings. He serves on the committee on Veterans Affairs, and the committee on Energy and Commerce.

Buyer's scholarship foundation, the Frontier Foundation, recently became the focus of a CBS investigation . He did not mention the Frontier Foundation during his Friday announcement.

Buyer made changes to they way the foundation ran in August when questions were first raised about the fund, moving it out of his campaign offices in Monticello.

Buyer's announcement comes as the deadline for other candidates to file draws near.

Tippecanoe County Republican Mark Davis said he believes it is likely that State Senator Brandt Hershman will run for the office. Davis said it would be good to have someone from Tippecanoe County, who is familiar with Purdue, in the position.