New York Rep. Tom Reed is resigning, leaving office more than seven months before the end of his term.
The Southern Tier Republican said last year that he would not seek reelection after he was accused of sexual misconduct. He announced Tuesday in a speech on the floor of the U.S. House that he was resigning.
“I love this institution as it still exemplifies what is best about our government. We are the people’s house,” Reed said. “While I am proud that we put people before politics, there’s much more to do.”
Reed said he will be joining Charlie Black at the Prime Policy Group, a Washington, DC-based government relations and public relations firm.
"I am leaving to continue that work and hope to have a greater impact on our country," Reed said.
The departure will trigger a special election for the 23rd Congressional District.
Reed was accused of rubbing a female lobbyist's back and unhooking her bra, without her consent, at a networking event in a Minneapolis pub in 2017. Reed apologized days after the allegations were reported in March 2021 and said the incident occurred at a time in which he said he was "struggling" and entered treatment after realizing he was "powerless over alcohol."
Reed, who was first elected to Congress in 2010, had said earlier in 2021 that he was considering a run for New York governor should Andrew Cuomo run again. Cuomo, a Democrat, resigned from the governor's office in August amid sexual harassment allegations, which he denied.
Reed, when issuing his apology last year, said he would not run for any office in 2022.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office did not immediately respond to questions about when she would call a special election to fill Reed's seat before November's elections.
Reed is a former mayor of Corning and previously was a co-chair of the House of Representatives' bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump in January 2021, but voted in favor of certifying the 2020 election of Democrat Joe Biden.
Reed was the second New York Republican who is not planning to run again this year. Upstate New York Rep. John Katko, who was among 10 House GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump, announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection. Katko’s district includes Wayne County.
WXXI and WSKG's Vaughn Golden contributed to this story.
