Longtime Sen. Levin to retire

WASHINGTON Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan says he will not seek re-election in 2014. He says he wants to do his job as Senate Armed Services chairman and as an advocate for his home state "without the distraction of campaigning for re-election."

Levin was first elected to the Senate in 1978 and is the longest-serving senator in Michigan's history. His older brother, Sander Levin, D-Mich., has served in the House since 1983.

The 78-year-old senator said in a statement the decision was "extremely difficult," but vowed to his constituents he will "spend the next two years than to devote all of my energy and attention to taking on" issues like closing tax loopholes, increasing manufacturing and reforming campaign finance.

"I love representing the people of Michigan in the U.S. Senate and fighting for the things that I believe are important to them," he said. 

As he and his wife Barbara "struggled with the question of whether I should run again," Levin continued, "we focused on our belief that our country is at a crossroads that will determine our economic health and security for decades to come. We decided that I can best serve my state and nation by concentrating in the next two years on the challenging issues before us that I am in a position to help address; in other words, by doing my job without the distraction of campaigning for re-election."

Levin's retirement creates an open seat for Democrats in a state where Republicans have fared well in recent state elections. Democrats have to defend open seats in West Virginia, Iowa and New Jersey in the aftermath of three retirements.

[SLOVV_NEWS]

Thank you, Senator Levin, for your hard work, dedication, and always bringing home the bacon.

[ammo17]

i think he is just tired of seeing how corrupt our govenrment has become.i watched him on c-span i think he is the only honest democratic politician in d.c.

[Pops-1949]

So much for the citizen politician, 35 years plus later he decides to leave, of course the only folks responsible for this are the voters of the state of Michigan. I had a political science professor in the 70s who had been a two term congressman, but lost his bid for a third term, because of a really messy divorce, this was the summer of Watergate and he said in reflection of his career that the first time someone is elected to office, they are truly in it for the people that elect them, the second term, they start to learn the ropes and the third term he said that they are coming back to make up for all they lost during the first two terms! In other words they know how to make it work for them, money. The Levins have had many years to make it! And of course now they will still be on the government teet, retirement and healthcare which is better than the majority of other Americans will receive.