In stepping down, Lott said he wanted to leave on a "positive note" after winning re-election last year to a leadership post and fostering legislation for rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.Posted on 11/27/2007 7:47:08 AM PST by SmithL
Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott announced Monday he will leave a 35-year career in Congress in which he epitomized the Republicans' political takeover of the South after the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.
Another Mid-South legislator, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said later Monday he would not seek Lott's position as minority whip after a spokesman had said earlier that Alexander was considering it.
In stepping down, Lott said he wanted to leave on a "positive note" after winning re-election last year to a leadership post and fostering legislation for rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.
The announcement caught many by surprise and brought quick speculation over who might seek both the Senate seat and the high-ranking position Lott held as GOP whip, the second most powerful Republican position behind Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Former Mississippi governor Ronnie Musgrove, a Democrat, and Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., emerged as possibilities for the seat, along with Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss.
As for whip, Alexander announced Monday evening that he will instead seek the Republican Party's Conference chairmanship, the number three position.
Lott narrowly defeated Alexander for whip last year.
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., announced through a spokesman that he would seek to move up from GOP Conference chairman to Lott's post as the vote-counting whip. Alexander said he would support Kyl.
The decision was sad news for DeSoto County leaders, who praised Lott but lamented the loss of influence his departure will mean for the state and region.
"I hate it for the state because we're going to lose all that seniority and have to start over," Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson said. "It has helped DeSoto County. The regional wastewater system wouldn't have happened without Trent Lott and Thad Cochran working together. Also Interstate 69. You can't get those kinds of projects without seniority. It'll take 20 years to get it back."
Lott was first elected to Congress on the coattails of Richard Nixon's re-election landslide in 1972 -- with 78 percent of the vote in Mississippi. He won election to the Senate in 1988, succeeding retiring veteran Democrat John Stennis.
His decision to retire by year's end occurred five years after he was bounced as the leader of his party in the Senate over remarks praising a Senate colleague that were interpreted as endorsing segregation. The remarks came in 2002 at retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party.
Lott, 66, rebounded a year ago, winning re-election to a fourth term.
He becomes the sixth Senate Republican this year to announce retirement. Democrats effectively hold a 51-49 majority in the chamber, including two independents who align themselves with Democrats. Lott's retirement means that Republicans will have to defend 23 seats in next year's election, while Democrats have only 12 seats at stake.
Lott said he wants to spend more time with his family and to pursue other job opportunities, possibly teaching. He ruled out any health concerns, but he said it's time for a younger voice to represent Mississippi in the Senate.
"I don't know what the future holds for us," he said on behalf of himself and his wife, Tricia. "A lot of options, hopefully, will be available."
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour will name someone to temporarily replace Lott. Barbour announced a special election for Nov. 4, 2008.
Barbour won a second term this month, and said he will not name himself as Lott's replacement and will not run for the Senate.
Lott said he had not planned to run for re-election in 2006, but he changed his mind after Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi's Gulf Coast and demolished his beachfront home in Pascagoula.
"They didn't quit, so I couldn't quit," he said of his neighbors.
More than two years later, however, Lott said Congress has completed most of the work it needs to do to help the Gulf Coast recover.
President Bush issued a statement calling Lott "an outstanding advocate" for his state and a leader who remained "true to his principles."
Lott's term runs through 2012. He said new restrictions on lobbying that take effect after Dec. 31 "didn't have a big role" in his decision to retire. The regulations extend the "cooling off" period for lobbying by former members of Congress from one to two years.
Lott's seat is likely to remain Republican.
Pickering, a former Lott aide who recently announced his retirement from the House, is widely seen as a potential successor. Pickering issued a statement calling Lott "a great statesman" but did not say whether he would seek the Senate job.
And Wicker, when asked when he might announce whether he'll seek the seat, said in a brief statement Monday evening: "This announcement caught everyone by surprise. It's only appropriate to wait a few days until we have heard more fully from the governor about the process."
On the Democratic side, Musgrove said Monday evening that he is "seriously considering" running for the seat.
"I believe the Republicans in Washington see the writing on the wall," he said.
Musgrove said his decision will be announced after it becomes clear how the procedure for a special election will be handled.
More info:
"I don't know what the future holds for us (family)."
Trent Lott, on life after the Senate
How it works
This much is simple: Republican Trent Lott says he's resigning from his U.S. Senate seat with five years left on his current six-year term.
Mississippi law makes things complicated from there.
If a senator dies or resigns with more than one year left to serve, the governor is required to appoint a temporary replacement and set a special election. State election law provides two scenarios for the timing of a special election:
In a year that has a general state election or congressional elections, such as 2008, the special election will be held on the same date as the regular election.
In a year without a general state election or congressional elections, the special election will be held within 90 days of when the Senate seat is declared vacant. The governor must declare a vacancy within 10 days. That sets up a maximum 100-day timeline from the time a senator leaves or dies and the time the election is held.
Lott said Monday he intends to resign by the end of this year, though he said he has not set a date.
Within hours of Lott's announcement, Gov. Haley Barbour issued a news release saying he will set the special election for Nov. 4, 2008 -- the same day as the regular federal election.
But the chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, Wayne Dowdy, said in his own news release that if Lott resigns during 2007, "we expect the governor to uphold the law and call a special election within 100 days."
Barbour spokesman Pete Smith said the governor's staff had researched election laws before Barbour issued the statement that the election would be next November.
Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark is the state's chief elections officer. He said there will not be party primaries for a special election.
Smith said the governor's staff was still conducting research late Monday on when candidates' filing deadline would be for a Nov. 4 special election.
-- Associated Press
"I hate it for the state because we're going to lose all that seniority and have to start over."
Chip Johnson, Hernando mayor
Why do I have this suspicion that he was “made an offer he couldn’t refuse”?
Lott epitomizes a great deal of what is and has been wrong with the Senate.
‘zackly. He should invite the rest of the RINOs to check out with him.
Jeff Sessions for a leadership post.
“‘zackly. He should invite the rest of the RINOs to check
out with him.”
Let’s not be selective - throw the whole bunch out. No more professional politicians.
Why do I have this suspicion that he was “made an offer he couldn’t refuse”?
Second that!
I think you may be on to something.
His cowardous actions and apologies due to the smearing of him by democRATs on the Strom Thurman issue.
Any MAN with a normal size pair would have fought back with equal zeal.
Was Pickering a judicial nominee?
HOOOOOORAY!!!! the VACANT LOTT IS LEAVING!!!!! Damn traitor should be shot!
Trent’s gay scandal is going to be his legacy.
LLS
I would love to know what went on behind the scenes.
I will never forget how vindictive he was when he lost the leadership position.
I cannot shake the idea that he has been compromised in some way, based on nothing more than a gut feeling.
I don’t care about where he places his Johnson or if he is a tap dancer in the mens room. Having said that, good riddance.
Chip Pickering is the son of Judge Charles Pickering, of whom you are thinking.
He should have reminded everyone that Slick Willy never had a bad word to say about his mentor, the renowned segregationist, William Fulbright. He actually praised him in a speech in 2002 at the dedication of the Fulbright Sculpture at the University of Arkansas.
The Judge was up for an appeals seat(?) wasn’t he? Did he get approved by the Senate?
Checvk out Bigheaddc.com and Larry Flynts statement.
“Lott epitomizes a great deal of what is and has been wrong with the Senate.”
About the only things that he wasn’t a poster boy for was age and drowning girls.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.