“I’m not running again for Congress in 2006. And I’m saying that to end the speculation,” he said. Owens, 67, explained that he decided not to retire after his current term because “I don’t see the urgency of leaving here, especially with the prospects of the Democrats taking back the House” and that he hoped he might assume a committee chairmanship.
When he does retire, Owens told the Times he planned to pursue a career as a novelist and playwright. “It’s something that I have always wanted to do. I even began writing a novel when I was younger. And that’s one of the things I want very much to get back to.”
Owens was elected to Congress in 1982 after serving as a state senator since 1974. A former librarian, he is known for his focus on library- and education-friendly initiatives.
Posted November 26, 2003.