Omnibus 'congresscritters retiring next year' announcements

[DrScholl]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/david-catanese/2012/01/gallegly-to-retire-109956.html

Not surprising at all, really.

[Joe Republic]

Let's see if he sticks to it this time.

[minionofmidas]

He didn't exactly get a friendly district.

[redcommander]

This is pretty good news for Republicans. Gallegly was far too conservative for the new district, and this opens the opportunity for a more moderate Republican to run and hopefully hold the seat. There's no shortage of potential candidates in Ventura.

[smoltchanov]

Yes, but i wouldn't call the most likely Republican candidate (Strickland) anymore more moderate then Gallegly. IMHO - he is even more conservative....

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://www.redding.com/news/2012/jan/09/herger-announce-retirement-lamalfa-run-his-seat/

After a quarter century representing the north state, U.S. Rep. Wally Herger will announce today he is planning to retire at the end of his current term and state Sen. Doug LaMalfa will be running for his seat.

“Senator LaMalfa is running for Congress, and will do so with the endorsement of Congressman Herger,” GOP consultant Dave Gilliard told Jon Fleischman of Flash Report, an influential California political blog.

Sources told the Record Searchlight late Monday LaMalfa is first expected to announce his entrance to the Congressional race to his staff in Sacramento before going public later in the morning. A similar meeting is to be held in Washington among Herger’s staff members, sources said.

[minionofmidas]

Not related to redistricting, by the way.

[redcommander]

Safe Republican.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Jerry Lewis (CA-somewhere in the 30s, I think) is also rumored to be retiring soon.

[I'm JewCon in name only.]

Thank you for your long service congressman!

[Tender Branson]

U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis, who has represented Inland Southern California in Washington for more than three decades and steered hundreds of millions in federal funds to the fast-changing region, announced Thursday he will step down from Congress at the end of the year.

“After months of consultation with loved ones and family, my wife Arlene and I have decided to retire from public life,” Lewis, R-Redlands said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to so many who have provided their support over the years. I have worked hard to justify that support. Thank you all and may God continue to bless America.”

Lewis, R-Redlands, becomes the latest in a string of senior California Republicans to announce their retirements in recent days, signaling major changes to the state’s congressional delegation. His announcement has significant implications on a pair of races for Inland House seats this fall and is certain to trigger a series of candidacy declarations in the hours and days to come.

A lifelong resident of San Bernardino County, Lewis was elected to the California Assembly in 1968. There, he penned landmark legislation creating the South Coast Air Quality Management District and was influential in the establishment of the California Newsman’s Shield Law.

http://www.pe.com/local-news/politics/ben-goad-headlines/20120112-2012-elections-veteran-rep.-lewis-to-retire.ece

Safe GOP district.

[I'm JewCon in name only.]

good riddance

[All Along The Watchtower]

Can't say I'm surprised.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Apparently he ran unopposed some years in the general. That's how weak the Dems are in that district.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Time for a celebration.

[krazen1211]

So Dreier quits or shifts to 8, and Gary Miller shifts to 31?

[Torie]

So Dreier quits or shifts to 8, and Gary Miller shifts to 31?

Miller is going to run in the Redlands-San Bernadino CD (is that CA-31?), and I suspect will be somewhat of an underdog. Drier has not announced what he is going to do, but his fundraising last quarter was anemic.  I am not sure he would win a primary in the Victorville-Adelanto based CD if that is CA-08.

[HAnnA MArin County]

Apparently he ran unopposed some years in the general. That's how weak the Dems are in that district.

Are the demographics changing in this portion of the state, because I read somewhere where this race was one of the handful of races where a Republican incumbent (Herger) did worse in 2010, a big Republican year, than in 2008 (a big Democratic year).. or was Herger just a terrible candidate?

[DrScholl]

There were rumors during the campaign that he is in the opening stages of Alzheimer's Disease, but there was no confirmation of that, but I would imagine that's why he underperformed.

[minionofmidas]

That would also explain why he retired. He's not that old - 66. Looks older, though. He also had a semi-serious primary challenger in 2010.

Fun fact: Herger's four worst performances are, in order

2010
2008
1986 (his first election)
1988

These are the only times he received under 60% of the vote.

[Keystone Phil]

Republican PA Congressman Todd Platts is retiring. Very surprising. Platts is known for having a bit of a moderate streak in a very conservative, safe GOP seat. That will certainly be an interesting open seat primary.

[AndrewTX]

Well, that's shocking. I thought he was going to hang in there for a few more years. It'll be an interesting race if he doesnt. 

Speaking of 2012 races, does anyone have a map of the 2012 PA districts? I know I'm going to be taken out of PA-5, and probably put into being represented by Marino, but cant find anything.

[Keystone Phil]

Check out the PA Redistricting thread in the Political Geography and Demographics thread for the map. Otherwise, check out the state's official redistricting website: http://www.redistricting.state.pa.us/

[Napoleon]

PoliticsPA has them.



http://www.politicspa.com/pas-new-congressional-maps/30096/

[redcommander]

At least it's a safe Republican seat.