WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Doc Hastings announced his retirement Thursday after 20 years in the House of Representatives.

Hastings, elected in 1994 to represent the state's Fourth Congressional District, said in a statement his family weighed heavily in his decision to retire. He will finish his term and step down at the end of the year.

One candidate filed to run for the Fourth District seat. Gavin Seim, a portraitist, pictorialist and illustrator, of Ephrata, filed in December, according to the Federal Election Commission.

"Two decades ago, the people of Central Washington first voted to place their trust in me to represent them in Congress," Hastings said, R-Wash. "In the nine subsequent elections, I've been humbled to have been given the privilege to serve as their common sense voice and to work for solutions to improve our local communities and pursue a better, brighter future for our nation. It is with deep appreciation for that privilege that I announce that this will be my final term in office and that I will not run for re-election in November."

Hastings, the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said he will continue to work on behalf of Central Washington following his last term.

"There are a number of community priorities that I am dedicated to seeing achieved in the months ahead," he said.

Hastings previously served as a member of the House of Representatives in the state Legislature from 1979-1987, and defeated now Gov. Jay Inslee in 1994 to serve in Congress.

"My ambition as a congressman then and now has been the same: to do the best job I can to serve Central Washington," Hastings said. "Last Friday, I celebrated my 73rd birthday and while I have the ability and seniority to continue serving Central Washington, it is time for the voters to choose a new person with new energy to represent them in the people's House."

Inslee also issued a statement following Hasting's announcement.

"I always appreciated Doc's hard work on behalf of the Fourth District," he said. "We worked together on the Hanford Caucus that helped keep the issue a priority in Congress. Despite the fact that we each beat the other once, we had a good working relationship, could enjoy a laugh together and swapped plenty of basketball tales."

Hastings founded the House Nuclear Cleanup caucus and serves as its chairman in order to better educate members of Congress about cleaning up nuclear waste, including waste at the Hanford Site. As chairman of the House Natural Resource Committee, he called for an overhaul of the Endangered Species Act to curtail environmentalist lawsuits and give more power to the states. Hastings believed the 40-year-old law was abused by environment groups looking to restrict development to protect species, according to the Associated Press.

Hastings and his family met with media members in Pasco Thursday to discuss his decision.