News & Notes: Holt chooses not to seek reelection

U.S. Rep. Rush D. Holt of New Jersey, who has represented the 12th congressional district — including Princeton — in the U.S. House of Representatives for the last 16 years, announced that he will not seek reelection to Congress.

Science long defined Holt’s career; prior to his engagement in politics, he worked as assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory from 1989 until 1998. After winning a close election in 1998, Holt went on to become Congress’s chief advocate for scientific research. He continuously urged Congress to spend more money on scientific research and learning, making him a widely supported figure in and around the University.

Holt ran in the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the late N.J. Senator Frank Lautenberg. Despite constituent support — including from some University employees — Holt lost in the primary election to then-Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who ultimately won the position.