Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) to retire

[JaneyVee]

Source: Washington Post

Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection this year.

"There is no hidden motive for my decision," Holt said. "As friends who have worked with me know, I have never thought that the primary purpose of my work was reelection and I have never intended to make service in the House my entire career."

Holt, who is perhaps best-known in Congress for competing against the Jeopardy! robot, Watson, also ran for Senate in a special election this year, losing the primary to now-Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/02/18/rep-rush-holt-d-n-j-to-retire/

---

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[hrmjustin]

1. So sorry to hear this. I remeber his first electiin was a real fight and was a big recount.

Great man and great congressman.

[Spirochete]

2. One of our best guys

Sorry to hear he's getting out.

[KamaAina]

3. Rats.

Could he maybe replace Christie someday?

[Walk away]

4. My neice interned for him last summer...

before going off to her first year of college. How sad for us to loose such a brilliant, thoughtful warrior in the fight to get things right.
I hope that everything is well with him and his family. He's my favorite Rocket Scientist ever!

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Man, that one's going to hurt!

[Jim Lane]

6. A terrible loss. The only consolation is that a Dem will replace him.

The district is heavily Democratic. (As the linked article notes, Obama carried it by more than 30 points in 2012.) Still, there's no way that the new person will be as good as Holt.

Just last week, he took it to the Republicans as only a scientist could. In a speech on February 12, he noted that it was the birthday of Lincoln but also of Charles Darwin. He went on to explain the enormous contribution Darwin made to our understanding of the natural world. Take that, you evolution-denying fundies!

[Bandit]

7. Don't count your chickens, New Jersey is a Blue state that elected Christie overwhelmingly.

It sounds like New Jersey folks are very easily conned.

[tilsammans]

8. Not overwhelmingly . . .

He won by about 4% in his first election, with incumbent Jon Corzine essentially phoning in his campaign. And just 38% of registered voters turned out for the gubernatorial election last year. In addition, the Democratic Party acted like his challenger, Barbara Buono, didn't exist, giving her practically no campaign support. Several key state Dems did endorse him - but probably out of fear, knowing he'd ruin their careers if they didn't.

So his margin was not "overwhelming."