(Photo by Peter O'Dowd-KJZZ)

Congressman Ed Pastor announced he is retiring after a 23-year career.

Arizona Congressman Ed Pastor is leaving office at the end of the year. He’s retiring after 23 years on Capitol Hill and before that he spent 16 years on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

We chatted with Pastor at his ASU office on Tuesday, Election Day, while voters were selecting his successor.

The Phoenix Democrat says his accomplishments include securing funding for the Valley’s light rail and improvements at Sky Harbor Airport. But Pastor said he’s most proud of the little things he was able to do for the people of Arizona.

Pastor said plans to do some work with ASU in the future.

Former state lawmaker Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, was elected this week to take Pastor’s 7th Congressional District seat in January.