Washington D.C., Mar 19, 2020 / 13:30 pm
The lieutenant governor of Washington announced on Thursday that he will not seek re-election and instead will enter the Society of Jesus this autumn.
Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib (D), 38, will end his eight-year career in public office after what he described as "two years of careful and prayerful discernment" led him to apply to join the Jesuits.
Habib, who was elected lieutenant governor in 2016, is the highest-ranking Iranian-American elected official in the United States.
As his discernment process was "almost entirely private," Habib said that he expected many of his constituents and supporters would find his decision to be a "major surprise," particularly he was considered by many to have a bright political future.