Senate president Jeb Bradley will not seek another term this fall, ending a 15-year run in the State House for the former U.S. Congressman.

Bradley, a Wolfeboro Republican, informed colleagues of his decision at the end of the Senate session on Thursday.

“There are times that you come to a crossroads, and I am at one of those times,” he said. “It’s a bit bittersweet because I’ve had the opportunity to serve across the wall, to serve in our nation’s capital and to serve in this absolutely beautiful room… I can tell you that there’s no nicer place to do the people’s business than right here in this room.”

Bradley was elected Senate president at the start of this session, after serving as the Senate majority leader since 2010.

Prior to his election to the State Senate in 2009, after he won a special election to claim the seat, he served two terms in Congress in the early 2000s.

Bradley is an avid hiker, becoming the 49th person to complete the White Mountain “Grid” challenge in 2015 – hiking all of the state’s 48 4,000 footers in each month, 576 peaks in total.

In his announcement, he gave a nod to his time on the trail, while thanking his wife Karen, who was in the Senate chambers and often accompanies him in the White Mountains.

“You get to know people in this room pretty darn well. When you are crossing some of the ridges above tree line for several hours in our presidential range and you are out there all by yourself, as Karen and I have been many times, you get to know somebody pretty well there,” he said. “She’s the best.”

Bradley was first elected to the State House in 1990, where he served six terms before running for U.S. Congress. He was elected in 2002 and served two terms before losing a re-election bid to Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.

The nature of New Hampshire’s citizen, volunteer legislature makes for work to be far more collaborative, despite political differences, he said.

“This is a very different atmosphere here. Yes, we argue, we differ, we are going to continue to argue and differ but we often come together and it’s very rare in this room that I’ve seen spite used against fellow members,” he said. “We all want to do what’s best for New Hampshire.”

Previously, Bradley worked as a street magician abroad in Switzerland and owned a natural foods store.

His departure from the Senate marks another change in state leadership amid a governor’s race and two open seats on the Executive Council.

“I am a live Free or Die guy and hopefully I’ll always be a Granite State guy,” he said. “It’s a bit bittersweet in some ways to be moving on but the time comes when you get to a crossroads sometimes you have to cross the crossroads and that’s the time for me.”