U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, whose 12th District includes part of Rowan County, said today he’ll resign from the House of Representatives on Jan. 6.
The resignation will become effective when Watt, a Democrat from Charlotte, is sworn in as the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency the same day.
Watt has served in the U.S. House for 21 years. He is the only representative to have served in the 12th District since it was established in 1992 as one of two minority-majority districts in the state. It currently stretches along the Interstate 85 corridor from the Triad to Charlotte.
A special election will be held next year for the seat Watt is vacating in Congress. A number of candidates have already expressed an interest in what is considered a safe seat for Democrats.