Frank Wolf, the dean of the Virginia congressional delegation, is retiring.
Wolf, 74, first elected to his House of Representatives seat in 1980, made the announcement Tuesday.
"I have decided not to seek re-election to the U.S. Congress in 2014," the Republican congressman said in a statement. "It has been an honor to serve the people of northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. I thank my constituents for giving me the privilege of representing them in Congress for 34 years."
"As a follower of Jesus, I am called to work for justice and reconciliation, and to be an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves," he explained.
"I plan to focus my future work on human rights and religious freedom; both domestic and international as well as matters of the culture and the American family. My passion for these issues has been influenced by the examples of President Ronald Reagan, former Congressmen Jack Kemp and Tony Hall, Chuck Colson, and the life of Member of Parliament William Wilberforce."