After completing his 18th term in Congress, U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks will retire from serving the 6th Congressional District.

Dicks said he and his wife decided to change gears and live at a “different pace.”

“The privilege of serving in the House of Representatives, with the endorsement of the voters every two years, is indeed an honor unlike no other profession in our country and I have truly enjoyed every day here and have cherished all of the friendships we have made with many of the finest public servants in the nation,” Dicks said in a statement released this morning.

The Bremerton native was first elected to congress in 1976. During his first term, Dicks was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, which he is now the top-ranking member.

He co-chaired an effort to preserve and restore the Admiral Theatre, and is currently supporting the concept of a downtown/waterfront retail development that will boost the city’s tax base and improve the quality of life for Navy personnel stationed at Bremerton.

Among his accomplishments, Dicks said the restoration of downtown Bremerton and his work to support Naval Base Kitsap and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard are at the top of the list.