Kansas City, Kan. ? The man who leads the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., won’t be seeking Dennis Moore’s House seat.

Mayor Joe Reardon said in a statement that that he was honored to have been mentioned as a Democratic candidate for the Kansas 3rd Congressional District in the northeast part of the state.

He said that because of the national recession, he must “remain focused” on the work started to help Wyandotte County and the region “overcome the challenges the ongoing economic crisis has created.”

The decision is a serious blow to the Democrats as they try to find someone for the race.

Moore has announced he will retire after his current term ends.