Washington ? Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who served as speaker of the House longer than any other Republican in history, intends to retire next year at the end of his term, party officials said Tuesday.

A formal announcement was planned for Friday.

Hastert’s planned retirement is likely to set off a lively scramble between the two political parties for a House seat that he has held easily since first elected in 1986.

Hastert’s decision has been expected since the GOP lost control of the House last November, costing him his powerful post. He had been speaker, second in the line of presidential succession behind the vice president, for eight years.

Hastert, 65, declined to run for minority leader after his party’s defeat in the 2006 elections, taking on a role as elder statesman among Republicans.

He has been a strong supporter of the war in Iraq.