Hoekstra to announce retirement

Less than a week after being reappointed as the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) will announce that he will not seek a tenth term in 2010, according to a source with knowledge of the decision.

Hoekstra, who has denied earlier reports that he will retire and consider a run for governor, will make the announcement on Monday, the source told The Hill.

Emails sent to Hoekstra staffers were not returned late Sunday night.

The Second District congressman’s contemplation of a run for governor is common knowledge among Michigan political watchers.

Incumbent Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) is barred by state law from seeking a third term in 2010. So far, Flint Mayor Don Williamson (D) and Michigan State University trustee George Perles (D), a former Spartan football coach, have declared their candidacies. Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D) is seen as the front-running Democrat in the race.
On the Republican side, Hoekstra will likely face off against Attorney General Mike Cox ®, who has formed a gubernatorial exploratory committee. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land ® is also term-limited and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard ®, who ran for Senate in 2006, and Domino’s Pizza CEO David Brandon ® have not ruled out bids of their own.

The battle to replace Hoekstra could give Democrats an opportunity to contest another Michigan congressional seat. His district, based on the shores of Lake Michigan, gave President Bush 60 percent of the vote in 2004, but John McCain won just 50.8 percent of the vote in 2008.

Hoekstra will become the latest Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee to announce his departure from the lower chamber. The second-ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Terry Everett (Ala.), is retiring this year, while Rep. Heather Wilson (N.M.) lost a bid for Senate in 2008.

The retirement list could still grow. Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) is considering a bid for a Senate seat left open by the retirement of Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), the third-ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee, had to be convinced to run for a twelfth term in 2008, leaving some to wonder whether he will run again in two years.

If Gallegly retires, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), presently the committee’s fifth-ranking member, would be next in line for the ranking member’s slot.