WASHINGTON – Congressman Mike Ferguson issued the following statement on Monday: “I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for re-election to Congress in 2008. I deeply appreciate the privilege the people of the 7th District have given me during the past seven years, and it has been my honor to represent them and our country. “My wife, Maureen, and I have four children, the oldest of whom is 9 years old. Since first being elected in 2000, I have strived to balance my responsibilities to my family and to my constituents. I am indebted to Maureen, whose love, selflessness and patience allow me to meet my obligations to my constituents – from votes in Congress that extend past midnight to multiple trips each week between Washington and New Jersey and back again. Being a representative in Congress is more meaningful than I had imagined, and I know that now is the right time to step away from public life to focus more on family life while our children are still young.