Rep. Mike Stewart won't seek re-election

State Rep. Mike Stewart announced last week that he won't seek re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives.

• Stewart, a Democrat, has represented portions of East Nashville and southeast Davidson County since 2008.

Why it matters: The 57-year-old Stewart says he will pivot to advocacy on the issue of election integrity. He broke the news to progressive outlet the Tennessee Holler.

• Stewart, whose day job is an attorney, tells Axios he hasn't ruled out running for public office again but that his immediate focus will be "protecting democracy."

What he's saying: "We are facing a threat that I never expected to deal with during my lifetime: a former president and his followers attempting to invalidate a presidential election and with it the system we use in this country to allow the people to choose their leaders."