Everett Announces Retirement From House

(The Politico)  Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) announced that he will not be running for reelection this morning, but his retirement will not likely affect the balance of power in the House.

Everett is the ninth GOP congressman to announce his retirement this cycle. He issued a statement citing his slow recovery from nerve damage in his right foot as the main reason for stepping down.

“There is a season for all things and it is time for me to enter the next phase of my life, and pass the mantle to the next generation,” Everett said in a statement. “While my health is good, there are other areas that come with age that I should pay more attention.”

Everett, a GOP backbencher, played a role in crafting the pending farm bill, and also has worked on military issues in a district with a large presence of military veterans.

His district, based in southeast Alabama, is one of the most Republican districts in the country. President Bush won 67 percent of the vote there in 2004, and Everett hasn’t faced serious competition since first elected.