State Rep. Melanie George Smith said this will be her final year in General Assembly.
The Bear-area Democrat told fellow House members Thursday she’s retiring at the end of her term and will go back to working full-time as an attorney at Richards Layton & Finger.
Smith is currently co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. She said she’ll miss being a legislator, but her life has changed since becoming a parent.
“It has given me a whole new set of priorities, most especially the wellbeing of my family," she said. "I feel so blessed that I’ve had the privilege of serving the public for as many years as I have.”
Smith has confronted questions about residing in her district after her family sold their home in 2016 and bought one in the Newark area. At the time, she said she was staying at her campaign treasurer’s townhome in her district.
She was first elected in 2002 and most recently won re-election in 2016.
