November 3, 2003
SHOCKING AS A SUNRISE (TO THOSE WITH 60-40 VISION):
Sen. Graham Won't Seek Re-election (Newsmax, 11/03/03)
Bob Graham will not seek a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, Fox News Channel reported today.The once-moderate but increasingly leftward-drifting Graham, whose disastrous bid for the Democrat presidential nomination was marred by relentless personal attacks on President Bush, "said there were other things he wanted to do," the Associated Press reported.
The GOP hopes to add the seat to its Solid South, along with seats vacated by Democrats Zell Miller of Georgia, Ernest Hollings of South Carolina and John Edwards of North Carolina.
There was never any serious chance of his running for re-election from the day he announced his presidential candidacy (if not from Election Day 2002, which ended any hopes of Democrats retaking the Senate in 2004). The more interesting question concerning Senators from Florida is why Bill Nelson would stay a Democrat after November 2004. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 3, 2003 12:40 PM
can Edwards still run forsenator, if he drops out early, or he is done, regardless of when he loses and drops his bid for the nomination?
Posted by: neil at November 3, 2003 1:17 PMHe could certainly still run, but he'd get wiped out. Home state voters notoriously dislike being treated as a consolation prize.
Posted by: oj at November 3, 2003 1:26 PMI believe that Edwards has already announced that he won't run for his Senate seat. The party establishment would like to give Erskine Bowles another try, this time against Rep. Burr. Incidentally, this is upsetting the African-American faction in the state Democratic Party.
Posted by: John Thacker at November 3, 2003 3:22 PMNot the time to celebrate yet...Remember that GOP senatorial recruitment has been lackluster (Washington, Arkansas, Nebraska saw top dogs pass). If Rowe can get Mel Martinez to run unopposed, this is a big opportunity -- to win seat and to lock up FL for Bush. But just remember that in 2000 the lackluster GOP candidate ran sevarl points behind Bush and lost.
Posted by: MG at November 3, 2003 3:53 PMany news on Thune in Dakota? He's seemingly quiet.
Posted by: neil at November 3, 2003 7:12 PM Edwards already announced that he wasn't running for Senator, largely because he saw polls that said he'd lose. If he changed his mind at this stage he'd look like an idiot (even moreso) Before this announcement I was predicting a 3 seat gain for the GOP, (pickups in the Georgia and the two Carolinas and a break even everywhere else...) Graham's absence doesn't make Florida an auto GOP pickup like the others, but it turns a Dem edge into a seat they have to fight for, which spreads their resources even thinner... so I'm going to up my prediciton to a 4 GOP pickup.