Saxton To Announce Retirement

Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), 66, will be announcing his retirement today after serving in the House since 1984. His departure opens up another highly winnable seat for House Democrats.

In a statement, Saxton said health concerns played a prominent role in his decision.  He has been treated for chronic sciatica, a painful back and leg condition, and has recovered from prostate cancer.

"Although I had intended to run in 2008 and was planning a strong campaign, recent developments regarding my health have prompted me to make this decision,” Saxton said in a statement.  “I plan to serve out the remainder of my current term in the 110th Congress. I will continue to receive medical treatment, and my health care providers have indicated the prognosis is, in fact very positive.”

Saxton is the fifteenth Republican to announce his retirement and, like many other retiring Republicans, his South Jersey district is in highly competitive territory. It’s a classic “9/11 district” as it gave a narrow victory to President Bush in 2004 (51 percent) after overwhelmingly voting for Al Gore in 2000.

Democrats already have a highly-touted candidate in state Sen. Jim Adler, who ran unsuccessfully against Saxton in 1990 and formed an exploratory committee for the U.S. Senate seat in 2002.