Senior House Democrat Steve Israel of New York Calls It Quits

[Purveyor]

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON — Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., a member of the Democratic leadership team in the House, announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election in November.

Israel spent four years heading up House Democrats' campaign operation, stepping down at the end of 2014 to take a new leadership position as head of the party's policy and communications committee.

"I hope to continue to be involved in public service, but it is time for me to pursue new passions and develop new interests, mainly spend more time writing my second novel," he said in a statement first reported by the New York newspaper Newsday.

Israel published his first novel — a political satire called The Global War on Morris — in December 2014.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/01/05/senior-house-democrat-steve-israel-new-york-calls-quits/78321788/

[Feeling the Bern]

1. Northern Nassau County

nice, safe seat.

[Jim Lane]

6. Alas, not all that safe

Obama carried the district by only 51% to 48% in 2012. Israel is personally popular -- he outpaced Obama in 2012, winning by 58-42, and even in the 2014 Republican wave he held on by 54-45. With an open seat, I'd expect stiff competition.

I don't know who's on the bench for each party.

[brucefan]

2. Good Riddance

[KoKo]

3. More to this than Meets the Eye?

[Joe Bacon]

4. Good Riddance, Blue Dog!

Time for a Real Democrat to pick up that seat!

[jeff47]

5. But who will massively lose elections now?? (nt)