MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) -- Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he will not seek a third term as the state's top lawyer.
Van Hollen made the announcement Monday.
"When I chose to stand for this office eight years ago, I had a clear vision of what an attorney general should do and, as importantly, should not do. Simply put, I believed Wisconsin needed an attorney general who would fight crime and restore integrity," he said in a statement.
"Your votes in 2006 and 2010 provided me the opportunity of instituting this vision. I have kept faith with my promises."
Van Hollen said the decision not to run allows him to focus "exclusively" on remaining tasks without the distractions of a campaign.
"I believe no person should be attorney general for life, or for too long. Our democracy requires a balance of experience and fresh views," he said.
"For my family, for me and this office, it's time to give Wisconsin voters new choices."
In an interview with the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, Van Hollen said he didn't run for attorney general as a "steppingstone" to another job.
However, the Republican didn't completely rule out a run for another office in the future, the newspaper reported.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.