HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Rep. Gene Ward (R) Portlock, Hawaiʻi Kai, Kalama Valley announced his retirement from the Hawaii State House of Representatives. The House Representative said his retirement comes due to ongoing health concerns. Hawaii Volcano Observatory, NOAA face big changes with n ew round of cuts Rep. Ward retires with over 30 years of public service under his belt including more than 27 years working in District 18. 10 facts about Oprah’s palatial $60M Maui estate In a release sent to his district, he emphasized the gratitude and privilege it has been to serve his community all these years. Is there a best burger in Honolulu? KHON2 takes the challenge "Although I will not be asking for your vote again, I only kindly request that my privacy and my family’s privacy is respected," Rep. Ward said. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Those who worked alongside him said he was always up for a good fight and would go the extra mile for any issue he felt strongly about. Honestly, he’s been such a fixture here that this session hasn’t been the same without him. He always said, we don’t have the votes, but we have the voice. And he made himself heard almost every single day he was here. We wish him all the best going forward. Lauren Cheape Matsumoto, House Republican Caucus Leader, District 38 Check out more news from around Hawaii Officials said that Rep. Ward's resignation will be official on March 31. ...read more read less