WRAL:

A Republican lawmaker who played a prominent role in North Carolina’s redistricting process announced Friday that he will not seek reelection this fall and will instead retire from his post at the end of the year.

Citing a “great personal sacrifice and loss of valuable time with my family, as well as my livelihood,” North Carolina Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, made the surprise move to end his 18-year stint in the General Assembly.

“The time has come to focus my energies in new directions, and to allow another capable leader to serve in this important role,” Lewis said in a statement.

Harnett County Republicans will soon select someone to replace Lewis for a spot on the House District 53 general election ballot, where that candidate will square off against Democrat Sally Weeks Benson.

Lewis played a pivotal role in gerrymandering state maps to advantage Republicans. During a 2016 legislative hearing, he proposed the state “draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats (in the U.S. House of Representatives) because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats.”