Sen. Conrad Announces Retirement

Update: Sen. Conrad sent out the following announcement Tuesday:

After months of consideration, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2012. There are serious challenges facing our State and nation, like a $14 trillion debt and America’s dependence on foreign oil.  It is more important I spend my time and energy trying to solve these problems than to be distracted by a campaign for reelection

These next two years in office will be critical.  My top priorities will be to: 

o   Get our country on a sound fiscal course; 

o   Reduce America’s dependence on foreign energy;

o   Craft a new Farm Bill;

o   Advance permanent flood control for the Red River Valley and; 

o   Address the disaster in the Devils Lake Basin.

I deeply appreciate the extraordinary support I have received over the years from the people of North Dakota.  I am eternally grateful for the opportunity you have given me.  It has been an honor to serve as your United States Senator for the past 24 years. Working together, we’ve helped build a strong foundation for North Dakota’s future.

I also want to thank my family, friends, and staff for years of support.   I especially want to thank my wife Lucy and our family — our daughter Jessie, our son Ivan and his wife Kendra, and our grandson Carter — for their constant encouragement.  I appreciate all the sacrifices they have made over the years.

I also want to thank two of my best friends, Senator Byron Dorgan and Congressman Earl Pomeroy.  It was my good fortune to serve in Congress with Byron and Earl for 18 years.  We worked hard to produce results for our state and our country. It is an experience I will never forget.

Although I will not seek reelection, the work is not done. I will continue to do my level best for both North Dakota and the nation over the final two years of my term.

Washington- According to the Washington Post, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) is expected to announce his retirement today.

The current chairman of the Senate Budget Committee is the first Democrat to announce his retirement following last week’s announcement from Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Conrad has been in office since 1986.