Pennsylvania Rep. Jim Gerlach said on Monday that he will retire from Congress at the end of this term.

Gerlach said it's "simply time for me to move on to new challenges and to spend more time with my wife and family," according to the Associated Press.

The Republican moderate originally sought his party's primary nomination for governor against Tom Corbett, but later dropped his bid.

Gerlach was first elected in 2002. He sits on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which has broad sway over fiscal issues and health care. He is the 10th House Republican to say that he is planning to retire.

Democrats need 17 seats in the November elections to win back control of the House. Democrat Michael Parrish, a businessman, has said that he would like to run for office, according to USA Today.

Jim Gerlach's term will end in early January 2015. Gerlach said that he'll keep working with his staff this year to serve Pennsylvania residents.

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