Sen. Jeff Bingaman to retire
Five-term Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico will retire from the Senate and not seek re-election in 2012, sources tell CBS News.
His announcement makes Bingaman the fourth member of the Senate Democratic caucus to end his career in the Senate in this Congress. Democrat Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia and Independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut all previously announced they won't seek re-election. Twenty-three Democratic senators are up for re-election, and with a slim majority now in the Senate, the party is gearing up for a tough election cycle.
The early announcements, though, are part of a larger strategy, encouraged by top Democrats, to clear the field for possible replacements, giving the party the best chances at fielding a strong candidate to keep the seat.
This scenario is in contrast to the 2010 cycle when then-Sen. Evan Bayh from Indiana announced his retirement four days before the filing deadline for his election, forcing both the party and potential candidates to scramble.
Sources tell CBS News that holding the New Mexico seat could be in the Democrats' cards in 2012. The party holds a 17-point voter registration advantage over Republicans, and President Obama won the state in 2008 by 15 points. Democrats could have a strong candidate in Representative Martin Heinrich, now in his second term in the House of Representatives.
Republicans, for their part, say the retirements signal a shift in the national political mood. "It speaks volumes about the state of the two political parties that as strong Republican candidates step forward in key races, Senate Democrats in important battleground states are stepping aside," said Brian Walsh of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
