GOP Rep. Tom Marino resigns from Congress

Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) announced Thursday that he is resigning from Congress to take a job in the private sector.

“Having spent over two decades serving the public, I have chosen to take a position in the private sector where I can use both my legal and business experience to create jobs around the nation,” Marino, 66, said in a statement.

“I want to thank the people of the 12th Congressional District of Pennsylvania for the faith they have placed in me to represent them in Congress. It truly has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Marino added.

Marino, who has was first elected to Congress 2010, was reelected in November to a fifth term in the House in a heavily Republican district.

{mosads}His last day in office will be Jan. 23. 

The news of his resignation was first reported by the Daily Item.

Marino helped lead President Trump’s presidential campaign in Pennsylvania in 2016, when Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by a slim margin in the key swing state.

Marino was also Trump’s nominee for drug czar in 2017. He withdrew his nomination following revelations that he backed legislation to weaken the government’s ability to go after drug companies.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) will now need to schedule a special election to fill the remainder of Marino’s term. 

— Updated at 12:57 p.m.