(Photo via speaker.gov)

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan joined other high-profile Republican congressional members when he announced last week that he wouldn’t be running for re-election. Ryan’s reasoning included the desire to spend more time with his family as a dad, but speculation about political calculations has also been rampant.

Was Ryan afraid of losing? Was he tired of dealing with President Donald Trump? Does he think he’ll be more effective as a messenger outside of Washington, D.C.?

Here to address some of those questions is Julia Azari, associate professor and assistant chair in the political science department at Marquette University in Paul Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin.