GOP Sen. Mel Martinez Announces Retirement
We might just have our first open swing Senate seat of the 2010 cycle, with the Orlando Sentinel reporting that GOP Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida will be announcing at a press conference this morning that he isn't running again.
If true, this could actually be good news for the GOP, complicating a major pickup opportunity for the Democrats in their quest to get to 60 seats. Martinez just narrowly won this seat in 2004, running as a loyal Bush supporter at a time when that was actually a plus. But recent polling has suggested he would probably lose against just about any Democrat.
An open-seat race could change things, assuming Martinez does announce his retirement, as the state GOP has a very strong bench. Look for the national GOP to try to recruit popular Gov. Charlie Crist, but if they can't do that there are still plenty of other prominent elected Republicans in the state that they can pick from.
At the end of the day, though, this is still Florida -- so expect a close race.
Late Update: It's worth pointing out that the other open Senate seat already on the table is in Kansas, where Sam Brownback is retiring. But that's a deep-red state and it isn't a swing seat -- at least not yet, unless Dems are able to recruit Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
Late Late Update: Martinez has made it official.
Also keep in mind that "60 seats" is a nearly meaningless abstraction, given that seats don't vote, Senators do.
Nothing personal, but I'm a bit sick of people acting like 60 seats would be any different than 59, aside from simply being one more.
December 2, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lux,
I absolutely agree with you. There are some really conservative Democratic Senators like Ben Nelson of NEB and Mark Pryor of ARK to name a few. You can't rely on people like this to overcome a filibuster.
December 2, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me three. Throw in the 9 or 10 vulnerable republicans or moderate republicans like the maine senators and you will get alot done in any event. Also, the maine senators are probably more supportive of the dem agenda than ben nelson or some of the other blue dogs.
December 2, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed! (Just thought I'd grab the opportunity!)
December 2, 2008 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just wish Franken would win.
Picking up this seat would be nice, of course.
December 2, 2008 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
i don't think that charlie crist is very popular with the republican higher-ups in the state. a conservative friend who is a republican insider says that there are big money types looking to support a challenger. (that was assuming he was going for the governor's seat again but i would imagine the same applies for the senate seat.) should be interesting to see which side wins out; crist still seems to be popular enough here in fl but i think people within the party, esp. conservatives, are worried (and judgmental) about "skeletons in his closet."
December 2, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
perfect spot to begin imagineering a Jeb Bush makeover
his running would at least guarantee the GOP holding onto the seat, is my guess
December 2, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
LMAO!
NewsNag, if there is one thing I'm sure of it is that no one with the surname "Bush" is going to be holding a major political office anytime soon.
December 2, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Tena,
I wouldnt be so sure. Jeb Bush is a brand unto himself here in FL. The Bush name may be (and should be) radioactive nationally, but Jeb would be the favorite over any over the Dems we have on the bench here (Sink, Wexler, Klein, Meek, et al).
December 2, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok.
I'm sure about Texas. No one named Bush is going to win another election here.
I'm dead certain sure of that. And I know very well the same can be said of: the entire East Coast and West Coast, the Great Lakes states, the Rust Belt, New England (goes without saying) and Colorado and New Mexico.
December 2, 2008 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
And what percentage of the vote did Obama get in Texas where you say we are so tired of Bush we still have most of his coattail riders running the place?
December 2, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, Mel, here's your gold watch, you're a jolly good fellow, etc., etc., now get the hell outta here.
December 2, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Another one bites the dust. Provided there are no major screw ups and the dems get a break from the public due to the outrageous antics of republicans over the last 8 years vis a vis the economy, 2010 is looking good for dems.
December 2, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
AND the exceedingly tan and neat bachelor (soon to be married . . . To a gal . . . Who would gaues) Crist is just the fellow to to win. win, win! that there Senate seat.
December 2, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, now why would crist give up his gig as governor of a huge state to be a back bencher in the senate? That doesn't make sense to me. Anyone have a logical explanation?
December 2, 2008 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Term limits keep him from being governor-for-life. The Senate has no such limits.
December 2, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, but he's only in his first term now, right? He still gets another term, doesn't he. I'd rather be a governor than a senator any day, especially of a state like florida. He can always run for the senate after he's term limited out. Also, even though he's a republican, I believe that he is doing a pretty good job as governor of florida and he seems honest, which is a switch for a republican. I bet he stays a governor until he's term limited out.
December 2, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Another lobbyist is born.
December 2, 2008 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
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December 16, 2009 6:07 AM | Reply | Permalink