Executive Behind Lavish Conference Leaves Agency
Walker Recall Effort Struggles To Gain Momentum
Republican Sen. John Ensign of Nevada said Monday he will not seek re-election in 2012 because, in part, "there are consequences to sin."
The two-term senator, who in 2009 admitted to having an affair with the wife of a former aide, called a 3 p.m. ET press conference in Las Vegas. With his wife and children by his side, Ensign said: "This campaign would be exceptionally ugly. I just came to the conclusion I couldn't put my family through it."
The Las Vegas Sun, however, had a different interpretation: "More likely, Ensign realized what most in Washington and Nevada already knew: that his chances for re-election were nearly non-existent."
Ensign's approval rating is about 35 percent, and a recent poll showed him trailing every potential Democratic challenger.
Politico reported that at his press conference, Ensign did not dodge his past misdeeds. "There are consequences to sin, and when you're in a leadership role, those consequences can affect a lot of other people," Ensign said. "I have come to the most difficult decision of my life. . . . But at this point in my life, I have to put my family first."
He said God and his wife had forgiven him, and his marriage was now stronger.
Ensign, once considered potential GOP presidential material, took a spectacular dive in 2009 when he announced he'd had an affair with the wife of his aide and best friend, Doug Hampton. It was later revealed that Ensign's parents had paid the couple, who both worked for Ensign, roughly $96,000 after the affair became public.
Federal prosecutors declined to file charges against Ensign, but an ethics investigation has been ongoing.
Rep. Dean Heller of Nevada is expected to seek the open Senate seat on the Republican side, although The New York Times reports that Sharron Angle, the tea party candidate who lost to Sen. Harry Reid in November, may challenge Heller in the primary.
Rep. Shelley Berkley is the most frequently mentioned name among potential Democratic contenders.
"Nevada is now an open seat, and ripe for a Democratic pickup. It remains high on our target list," Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a statement. "Whoever Republicans field as their candidate will have a tough time holding onto this seat in a blue-trending state with President Obama at the top of the ticket."
From U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee: "Next year's Senate race in Nevada will now come down to a clear choice between two competing visions for our country – between a Republican candidate who believes in smaller government, fiscal responsibility and creating good, private sector jobs, and a Democrat candidate who believes in keeping our country on the same reckless fiscal path of more government and higher taxes."
30 Comments