Harvey B. Morgan, the second longest serving member of Virginia’s House of Delegates, will be stepping down from his seat at the end of this year.

Morgan (R-Middlesex) announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection to his 98th Legislative District seat, which includes Gloucester and Mathews counties. He first took office in January 1980.

The decision to retire from the General Assembly, he said, has been one of the most difficult decisions of his career.

"I considered doing this two years ago," Morgan said, "but I decided to run again. And two more years is a long time."

Morgan, 80, has mixed feelings over leaving a job in which he has invested much of his passion and time over three decades. "It’s truly been a labor of love," he said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed it. People have been wonderful."

Much has changed over the years, Morgan said, especially with the advancement in technology. "I used to have an office,...