New York State Senator James Seward has announced that he will retire at the end of the current term.
Seward has served 17 two-year terms.
His 51st Senate District is based in Oneonta and includes portions of Delaware, Chenango and Cortland Counties.
Late last year, Seward had announced that he had had a relapse of cancer and began treatment.
While he initially indicated that he planned to run again this year, concerns over running for re-election while still undergoing treatment caused him to reconsider.
Seward says he plans to use his energy working on behalf of his constituents in Albany during his final year.
He joins a long list of Republican State Senators who are not seeking re-election this year.
