Breaking: Dem Senator Byron Dorgan (ND) set to retire at the end of his term this year

A pick-up opportunity in the Senate has just landed in the laps of the GOP:

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) announced this evening that he’s retiring at the end of his term, a shocking development that threatens Democratic control of his Senate seat next year.

Dorgan was up for re-election in 2010, but the third-term senator wasn’t facing any strong Republican opposition– but was facing the growing possibility of a serious challenge from popular Gov. John Hoeven.

In his statement, Dorgan said his retirement was borne out of the desire to spend more time with his family.

“Over this holiday season, I have come to the conclusion, with the support of my family, that I will not be seeking another term in the U.S. Senate in 2010. It is a hard decision to make after thirty years in the Congress, but I believe it is the right time for me to pursue these other interests,” Dorgan said in a statement.

[…]

With Dorgan out of the race, North Dakota becomes a prime pickup opportunity for Senate Republicans. Dorgan was still enjoying strong popularity in public polls, and was favored to win re-election. But North Dakota has been reliably Republican at the presidential level — giving John McCain 53 percent of the vote in 2008 — and the president’s domestic agenda hasn’t been viewed favorably.

Gov. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) has been considered a possible challenger to Dorgan, and may now give newfound consideration to the race now that Dorgan is retiring.

A December Rasmussen poll showed Hoeven leading Dorgan by an astounding 22 points, 58 percent to 36 percent. Both candidates, according to the poll, held very strong approval ratings within the state.

Hoeven, a third-term governor, has rock-star appeal in North Dakota, with a majority of voters (53 percent) viewing him “very favorably” in the Rasmussen survey.

Zogby also had Hoeven up by a substantial amount over Dorgan in a Zogby poll taken in November. At this point, the question is: Will Hoeven run? The pressure builds to make a decision.

Add this potential Senate election to your “one to watch” file. And learn a little more about Gov. Hoeven here.

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Here’s a link to Dorgan’s statement.

your mama says:

January 5, 2010 at 8:37 pm

hope this is a continuing trend.

Senator Dorgan to Free Himself From Consequences This Year :: YankMcCain.com says:

January 5, 2010 at 9:08 pm

[…] Byron Dorgan has announced he’ll be retiring from the Senate after this term. That’s good and bad […]

Chris in NC says:

January 5, 2010 at 9:09 pm

This isn’t a good thing. The beatable dude is gone. Like I said in other comments the dems are not going to lose a seat. People who are in trouble like Dorgan will be forced from the ballot by the party. They’ll be replaced with a “fresh face” and the blithering idiots we call average voters of the states in question will be satisfied and send the democrat back. This is just New Jersey over again except the candidate is stepping down before the ballots are printed.

Don’t get too excited by this. They’ll poll and poll and find someone who can and will be the republican. The media will lie and help out and the dems will win their races. Same stuff, different day.

Great White Rat says:

January 5, 2010 at 9:41 pm

That’s possible, Chris, but I think ST’s calling this one correctly. Yes, the Dems will try to find someone with no baggage, but that won’t be easy, not with Hoeven’s popularity (if he decides to run). They’ll be looking for a sacrificial lamb.

Not that the GOP isn’t capable of finding a way to lose regardless….

There’s another aspect of this to consider. Before announcing his retirement, Dorgan would have been susceptible to public pressure to vote against bills like Cap & Trade. Now, he’s got nothing to lose – personally – by telling the voters to go to hell. He might get rewarded with a cushy no-work post-retirement job with the Obama administration. Of course, that would doom whoever the Dems nominate to replace him, but if they think the seat is lost anyway they have nothing to lose.

That’s the down side of all these lame-duck Dems in Congress. They’re more likely than ever to toe the party line.

poptoy says:

January 6, 2010 at 4:02 am

Dorgan knows he is toast. This will be a permanent GOP seat. Remember Thune putting Daschel in his place. Same thing just a little further north. This is a + that will last. The sides are beginning to line up. Landrieu is the only exception to the rule for now. But her turn is coming. Nelson in Nebraska is toast also. Baucus is an exception that may last. I just don’t know what the good people of Montana are thinking?

January 6, 2010 at 8:20 am

I see this morning that Chris Dodd is also calling it quits. In this case, Chris in NC would be exactly right….CT is a top to bottom deep blue state, so any non-tainted Dem should win there.

chrisfromneenah says:

January 6, 2010 at 2:29 pm

The sad thing is Hoeven going to do any better. We need to as Americans come together and demand NO MORE FREE TRADE. That was a failed policy mostly because the rich took the money from the cheap labor overseas and ran with it. Now we are stuck with the debt and no jobs. Well lets all Democrat and Republican come together to take back our land and our jobs. All demand in the primaries NO FREE TRADE. For more discussion go to heywhateversocial.info. There I will be posting more views on what is going on in the crisis.