Ky. Sen. Jim Bunning Not Running For Re-election
Bunning, 77, has been considered the GOPs most vulnerable senator since a razor-thin re-election in 2004 and a public spat with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who has made it clear he would like his embattled colleague to retire as he tries to boost his partys numbers in the Senate.
McConnell has had a tough job, as Republicans are coming off back-to-back losses that cost them control of Congress and the presidency.
Next year, they will have to defend seats in several competitive states with no incumbents, including Florida, Ohio, Missouri and New Hampshire. In addition, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched parties from Republican to Democrat as he tries to defend his seat.
The latest election filings show that from April through June, Bunning raised less than half the total of Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a 37-year-old Republican who has been eyeing his seat.
In the statement, Bunning, first elected to Congress in 1986, said that to win a general election, a candidate has to be able to raise millions of dollars for advertising and campaign events.
“The simple fact is that I have not raised the funds necessary to run an effective campaign for the U.S. Senate,” Bunning said.
Bunning spokesman Mike Reynard said Bunning was in Washington on Monday and did not plan any public appearances to announce his retirement. He plans to work as usual in the Senate this week, Reynard said.
An often irascible former pitcher enshrined in baseballs Hall of Fame, Bunning has been considered weak because of his lackluster financing and narrow wins in his previous two elections.
He is also known for making comments that some find objectionable, including a suggestion earlier this year that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg may die within a year from pancreatic cancer. He later apologized.
During his 2004 race that ended in a narrow victory over then-state Sen. Daniel Mongiardo, Bunning said his Democratic opponent – who is of Italian descent – looked like one of Saddam Husseins sons.
Bunning defended himself against critics in his statement.
“Speaking out against bailouts and wasteful spending supported by the Republican leadership in the Senate and a Republican president last year angered many of my colleagues in my own party, but I didnt run for public office for fame or public acclaim,” he said.
His retirement could give the GOP a leg up in next years election in the Republican state. Grayson began the campaign saying he would not challenge Bunning but has since modified his position to say only that he has no plans to do so.
Grayson praised Bunning in a statement as he indicated he will soon make his candidacy official.
“I will soon transition my exploratory committee to an official campaign committee, but today it is appropriate that we honor the exceptional career of Sen. Jim Bunning and take time to thank him for his extraordinary service to our state and nation,” he said.
Paul, who has raised about $100,000 since he formed an exploratory committee in May, has said hed announce before Aug. 20 on whether hed get in. A political consultant for Paul said Monday his plans have not changed since Bunnings announcement.
Despite the states Republican tilt, Democrats have a strong field in Jack Conway, Kentuckys attorney general, who raised $1.3 million since April, and Mongiardo, who is now the states lieutenant governor and came within about 23,000 votes of unseating Bunning five years ago.