Scandal-plagued Renzi Announces Retirement

(The Politico)  Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) will not be running for reelection next year, creating a highly contested open seat in a competitive eastern Arizona district.

“I will not be seeking reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. I am honored and thankful to serve Arizona’s 1st District and appreciate all that we have accomplished together over the past 6 years,” Renzi said in a statement released by his office.

Renzi had been under an ethical cloud for much of the year, amid a federal investigation into his business dealings. He resigned from all of his committee assignments, and was under pressure from GOP leadership to vacate his seat. He also suffered financial woes: At the end of the second quarter, Renzi’s legal bills were higher than the amount of money in his campaign account.

Renzi’s retirement is the fifth among House Republicans in the last month, following announcements from Reps. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) that they will not be seeking reelection.

There will likely be a crowded Democratic field vying for the nomination. State Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has already announced her candidacy, and is considered one of the leading candidates. Attorney Howard Shanker and television reporter Mary Kim Titla have also announced campaigns, with a slew of other Democrats considering bids.

On the Republican side, outgoing state Senate President Ken Bennett, state Rep. Bill Konopnicki and state Sen. Tom O’Halleran are considered leading candidates for the nomination.