Since voters made him a member of the minority party in the Senate last week, speculation has been rampant that Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., might not run for re-election in 2008. A correspondent on NBC’s Chris Matthews Show even said on Sunday that the senator is one of several who won’t seek re-election.
That led to a domino effect of speculation and chatter about who would run for Domenici’s seat. Blogger Joe Monahan has spent days writing about his assertion that
Not so fast, Domenici says.
It turns out speculation has been rampant around the nation that various, aging senators from both parties might not seek re-election in 2008. The congressional newspaper The Hill took the time to ask Domenici and others about their intentions.
Domenici told the newspaper he intends to seek re-election.
Domenici is 74, and it’s no secret that his health is declining. But, if the newspaper is to be believed, the senator has made clear that being a smaller player in Congress won’t be enough to chase him from office.
Those who are in line for various seats that could come into play if Domenici steps down may have to wait awhile longer.
His retirement would create a domino effect. On the Republican side,
On the Democrat side, many would consider running for Senate if Domenici wasn’t in the race. Very few would seriously consider running against Domenici. Those who might be interested include U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, Lt. Gov Diane Denish and, depending on how his presidential hopes go, Gov. Bill Richardson.
That means we’re talking about the possibility that all three
If Domenici gets his way, it appears they won’t have anything to fight over.