House Speaker Ryan Won't Run for Re-election

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan will not run for re-election, people close to the Wisconsin lawmaker said Wednesday.

Ryan's plans have been the source of much speculation amid Republican concerns over keeping their majority in the House of Representatives. Ryan had made tax cuts a centerpiece of his legislative agenda, and Congress delivered on that late last year.

Ryan, 48, planned to face reporters later Wednesday morning.

Two people with knowledge of Ryan's thinking said he has decided against seeking another term, but they did not say why. Both sought anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, Wisconsin, was first elected to Congress in 1998 after former House Speaker John Boehner retired. He was former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012.

Ryan and his wife have three children.