Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) To Retire

It's a whole lot easier to pick up an open seat (especially in a purplish state) than against a long time incumbent.

Bingaman had been mulling whether to run for a fifth term for months and, if he had, would have almost certainly been re-elected.

His retirement, however, creates an open seat contest that both national parties will almost certainly target. Democrats should start the race with an edge, however, given President Obama's 15-point victory margin in the state in 2008.

Bingaman is the fourth Democratic (or Democratic-aligned) Senator to announce that he will not run for re-election in 2012, joining Sens. Jim Webb (Va.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Kent Conrad (N.D.) on the sidelines.

Two Republicans -- Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) -- are not running for new terms.

Dems are seeing the writing on the wall...winning your race but then coming back to be in the minority is no fun.

New Mexico just elected a Republican Governor, Susana Martinez, so the idea of picking up a statewide seat there isn't beyond reach. The question will be candidate recruitment. Hey, doesn't Don Rumsfeld live in New Mexico?

posted by DrewM. at 01:03 PM

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