LINCOLN - Nebraska State Auditor Charlie Janssen announced Thursday that he won't seek reelection, and he endorsed his predecessor to the position, Lt. Gov. Mike Foley, who plans to run for his old office.

While Janssen is not running again or planning to in the immediate future, he does not plan to step away from politics as a whole. He said he will be more of a "free agent" in the immediate future and could potentially run for office in the future.

“I've been elected for 16 straight years, but I'm by no means saying I'm getting out of it,” said Janssen who served in the Legislature from 2009 to 2015.

As auditor, Janssen was able to work with lawmakers from both parties which allowed the securing of funding for additional workers within his office. These workers tracked state government spending and investigated waste. Janssen also successfully lobbied for a policy that gave the auditor's office subpoena power, allowing for better access to financial information. He also hired a Democrat, former state Senator Russ Karpisek, as his top deputy.

Both Republicans, Foley and Janssen, have held their current jobs since 2015. They also both ran for governor in the state's Republican primary where Janssen dropped out and Foley lost to Governor Pete Ricketts. Foley has previously held the title of auditor from 2007 to 2015 and served as a state senator from 2001 to 2007.

“I intend to ask the citizens of Nebraska to grant me an additional opportunity for public service,” Foley said.

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