Brownback for Gov

[Lunar]

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. Sam Brownback will announce Thursday he is retiring from the Senate when his term ends in 2010, allowing the Kansas Republican to explore a run for governor.

He will be the second GOP senator this year to publicly state he is leaving at the close of the 111th Congress.

Brownback, who unsuccessfully sought the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, will not reveal his future political plans during the three news conferences planned for Thursday in Kansas. But a source close to Brownback said he will file gubernatorial paperwork in January.


Under Kansas law, by waiting until next month Brownback will not have to disclose how much money he has raised until early January 2010. Brownback, a prominent figure in conservative circles, is expected to tap into a national fundraising base established during his years in the Senate as well as his failed presidential bid.

Brownback arrived in the Senate in 1996, winning a special election to fill the two remaining years of Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole’s term after the Kansas Republican resigned to focus on his presidential bid. Brownback, who pledged in that campaign to only serve two terms, went on to win re-election in 1998 and 2004. Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits, will join Brownback at the news conferences to thank him for abiding by “his pledge not to serve a third term in the U.S. Senate,” according to a news release from that organization.

Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh, a Republican, is currently raising money as he explores his own campaign for governor.

Several candidates are considered likely Senate successors for Brownback, including Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat, as well as two House Republicans, Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt.

Brownback will join Florida Sen. Mel Martinez as the second Republican senator to announce his retirement following the 2008 elections. Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is exploring her own 2010 gubernatorial bid; if she decides to run, it would create a third open Republican seat in 2010. Democrats, who gained at least eight Senate seats in the 2008 elections, only have to defend 15 seats in 2010, while Republicans have to protect 19.

Democrats currently hold a 58 to 41 seat edge over Republicans in the chamber with the Minnesota contest between GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken still unresolved.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Is this unexpected?

[Ronnie]

!

[Lunar]

Is this unexpected?

It was rumored he was looking into it.

Not really a surprise, but it should clean out the rest of the contenders.

I'd rather have Sebelius in the Senate than in Topeka or whatever anyway.

[Padfoot]

Is this unexpected?

It was rumored he was looking into it.

Not really a surprise, but it should clean out the rest of the contenders.

I'd rather have Sebelius in the Senate than in Topeka or whatever anyway.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I'd have no problem swapping Sebelius and Brownback.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Is this unexpected?

It was rumored he was looking into it.

Not really a surprise, but it should clean out the rest of the contenders.

I'd rather have Sebelius in the Senate than in Topeka or whatever anyway.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I'd have no problem swapping Sebelius and Brownback.

I expect that Kansas will have a problem with it.

[Lunar]

Indeed.  What are her approval ratings like anyway?

It's harder to separate yourself from the national brand in the senate.  That's why Vermont, Hawaii, Connecticut, California, Oklahoma., Wyoming, etc. all can have the governors they do.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Indeed.  What are her approval ratings like anyway?

It's harder to separate yourself from the national brand in the senate.  That's why Vermont, Hawaii, Connecticut, California, Oklahoma., Wyoming, etc. all can have the governors they do.

As of late October, Survey USA puts her at 62% approve, 33% disapprove.

Which is very similar to the numbers Brad Henry had when he lost a race for Oklahoma Senate.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Think you mean Brad Carson.

[Keystone Phil]

Think you mean Brad Carson.

Or maybe he's hinting at Sebelius not running (like Henry didn't run in 2008).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Think you mean Brad Carson.

Or maybe he's hinting at Sebelius not running (like Henry didn't run in 2008).

Of course, he could be doing both

[Eraserhead]

Brownback is just the kind of reactionary that Kansas needs to shepherd the state through these turbulent and troubled times.

[Psychic Octopus]

I see no problem with them switching, and this is great news for democrats, because if that is the only pick up in '10, they have a fillibuster-proof majority and inroads to a very republican state.

[Sam Spade]

Mr. Moderate's point is probably something more simple - in that, unless President Obama is wildly popular (i.e. at today's president-elect approval ratings in Rasmussen/Gallup, or maybe even higher possibly, but you get my drift), it's going to be very hard to convince voters in Republican states to give up the filibuster (i.e. give Dems "complete" control).