Kolbe is out.
Rep. Jim Kolbe (news, bio, voting record), a leading proponent of free trade and the only openly gay Republican in Congress, announced Wednesday that he will not seek a 12th term next year.
Kolbe, 63, said in a statement that he wants to find "new avenues of service" and spend more time in Arizona.
"I make this decision not out of despair or discouragement or even uncertainty about my political prospects for election," he said.
Jonathan Singer:
Short of a Graf win in the GOP primary, the Democrats might have had a difficult time winning in Arizona's eight congressional district before Kolbe's retirement announcement even though President Bush only carried the district with 53 percent of the vote in 2004 and 49 percent in 2000. But today's news offers the Democrats a solid pick up opportunity that could put Nancy Pelosi one step closer to the Speaker's chair in the 110th Congress.
Democrats are quick to note that this is "a race we can win." The eighth district contains a portion of Tucson, a city in which Democrats forcefully gained control of power during the local elections earlier this month. What's more, with the popular Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano leading the ticket next fall, Dems say they should be able to win in the eighth district next year.
This race becomes a top-tier pickup opportunity. DeLay and NRCC chair Tom Renolds can't be too happy today. And the continued ethical and legal troubles bedeviling the GOP might force additional retirements.