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Fri.: Bob Bows Out
posted at 2009-11-13 22:11 | Last modified 2009-11-14 11:05
Congressman Bob Etheridge announced today he won't seek his party's nomination to challenge Republican Richard Burr in the 2010 Senate race.
Etheridge, a seven-term Dem from Lillington, was the target of substantial recruitment efforts by national Dem leaders, efforts he alluded to in his statement this afternoon. Here's the full text:
"Richard Burr is the wrong Senator for North Carolina. He stands as a roadblock to progress on the major challenges facing our state and our nation from economic recovery to job creation to health care. He has consistently voted against the interests of working families in North Carolina and in favor of health insurance companies, big oil, and other special interests. North Carolina is ready for a change in the Senate, as shown in Richard Burr's low approval ratings. I look forward to helping a Democratic candidate defeat Richard Burr in 2010, but I will not be that candidate.
“After careful consideration and thoughtful discussions with my family, friends, and colleagues – for whose support I am deeply grateful – I have decided not to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010. I have been humbled by the encouragement I have received while contemplating this decision and I appreciate the confidence so many people have placed in me. Ultimately, I believe that I can best help the people of North Carolina during this economic downturn by remaining in the House of Representatives and continuing to serve as North Carolina’s only member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
“As I seek re-election to Congress, I look forward to sharing victory with our Democratic Senatorial candidate and working with our new Senator to improve the economy and create jobs for the working families of this great state.”
Etheridge campaign spokesman Jason Sulham said much the same thing in a brief phone interview this afternoon.
Listen Now!
Shocked? Well...
I don't think most observers were surprised to hear the news. Unless Etheridge had some deep-seated desire for a Senate seat, the move wouldn't make much sense at all.
Etheridge has been in the House since '96. He's built his reputation there, most recently evidenced by his appointment to the Ways and Means Committee. Moving to the Senate would mean starting over - and in a chamber with six-year terms, he'd be unlikely to pick up much ground before retirement age rolls around.
Add in the political uncertainty around 2010, and the need to raise money for a statewide race in a year when the DSCC isn't likely to help much, and the only question is why Etheridge even seriously considered the idea.
So what does this mean for the two Dems already in the race - Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham attorney Ken Lewis? However you do the math, it's hard to make it look good. The DSCC doesn't have much stake in either of them, having already failed to recruit the candidate of its choice. And while its fundraising isn't going badly for a midterm year per se, it's not exactly rolling in cash, either. What funds it can raise will probably go to vulnerable incumbents before potential challengers, so we're unlikely to see the kind of hand-over-fist spending that helped Hagan unseat Dole.
Bottom line, whoever wins this primary will have to raise milions on his or her own to unseat Burr - and neither Marshall nor Lewis have ever raised that kind of money. That doesn't mean it's impossible. But 2010 may not be the the best year to try it.
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