State Rep. Lynn Herman, R-Centre, announced yesterday that he would not be seeking re-election this year after more than two decades of service.

Herman said that he made his final decision over the weekend with the help of his family.

"I have been blessed with 24 years of service -- it is a long time of good quality service to my constituents. This should not be a lifetime position," he said.

Herman said he is not seeking re-election because he wants to spend more time with his family and friends, which he has not been able to do in some time.

Herman, who was first elected in 1982 and has served a consecutive 12 terms, said he does not have definite plans after his term.

"I want to help the people in my area in a different capacity," Herman said.

Centre County Republican Party's vice chairman, Michael Russell, said through an e-mail message yesterday that Herman informed the county party of his decision not to run again.

"We appreciate his many years of dedicated service to the people of the 77th District and to the Penn State community," Russell said through e-mail.

Republicans Matt Shaner and Ken Bailey had announced intentions to run against Herman in the upcoming primary elections. Shaner formally announced his candidacy yesterday.

Shaner said he was not greatly affected by Herman's announcement.

"We were always confident that we would win the primary election regardless," Shaner said. "After 24 years, it is time to let someone else have another stab at it."

Centre County Commissioner Scott Conklin also announced his candidacy for the Democratic ticket but was not available for comment yesterday.

A recent pay raise given to Herman and other elected officials ignited some concern in the community and gave others a chance to run for the office, Russell said.

"The pay raise has already become an issue and caused challengers to emerge. This poses an issue for many of the incumbents and unfortunately became a larger issue than many anticipated," Russell said.

Herman voted for the pay raise, according to Republican Party State Committee member Donald Suit. Herman also voted to immediately receive the money through a "loophole" in un-vouchered expenses, Suit said.

Herman said that he gave $1,100 of the initial money to charities and gave the rest back. "I did not keep anything for my own personal use," he said.

Herman said the conflicts surrounding the pay raise did not contribute to his decision not to run for re-election.

"It was a completely personal decision. I am absolutely confident that I would have been re-elected if I ran. There has to be a last term at sometime," Herman said.

By not endorsing a candidate, the Centre County Republican Party hopes to give voters more of a chance to learn about the elections on their own, Centre County Republican Party Chairman G.T. Thompson said.

"We want to be sure the voters are well informed and are able to make their own educated decisions," Thompson said.