It's a tough world for the GOP, what with running on the legacy of Mr. 24%, having a crowded field of candidates no one likes running for president, and massive money woes. They have to defend a whopping 22 Senate seats, and something like 20 of their House members are retiring.
It's enough to make an ambitious Republican think twice, or three or four times, about running for higher office. And Arizona state Rep. Bill Konopnicki, the heir apparent for the seat the ethically challenged Rick Renzi is abandoning, has done just that:
Konopnicki had not officially announced his candidacy due to the state’s resign-to-run laws, but had been gathering support in the Flagstaff-based district with an exploratory campaign committee. Republicans both in Washington and in Arizona had said Konopnicki would be a strong contender for the race, and his announcement came as something of a surprise....
"I’m sorry about it, and it was mine to lose, I believe," he said, citing strong support within the district. "But the personal things outweighed the ability" to run, he said. He added that budget problems in Arizona also made it a bad time to leave the state legislature.
CQ has moved this race, where Dem Ann Kirkpatrick, a former state representative, is leading the entire field in fundraising, into its most competitive no clear favorite category. Not bad for a district Renzi won by 8 points in 2006, and that Bush carried with the same margin in 2004.