The exodus continues. The latest House Republican incumbent to announce his or her retirement is none other than everyone’s favorite far-right xenophobe, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.).
Even if he loses his long-shot bid for the White House, Rep. Tom Tancredo will be leaving the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of 2008.
Tancredo, 61 , waited until after the Colorado Rockies’ last out of the World Series on Sunday night before announcing that he plans to retire from Congress at the end of this, his fifth term.
“It’s the fact that I really believe I have done all I can do in the House, especially about the issue (immigration) about which I care greatly,” he said. […]
Tancredo parlayed a back-bench seat in Congress into a national megaphone to oppose illegal immigration, denounce a so-called “cult of multiculturalism” and warn about a “clash of civilizations” between radical Islam and Western civilizations.
And he did so shamelessly, offensively, and without a hint of regret. Tancredo hasn’t just spent a congressional career dividing people, he’s spent his career scaring them. He’s always been more bully than lawmaker, more fanatical than reasoned.
In the short term, of course, we’ll still have to endure Tancredo’s struggling presidential campaign — and with nothing else to do, he probably won’t drop out anytime soon — and his retirement from the House doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done with politics. There have been rumors that Tancredo will run for the Senate against Ken Salazar (D) in 2010.
As for the broader House picture, today’s announcement means one more open House district the Republicans will have to fight to keep. How hard will they have to fight? Well, it’s clearly a “red” district — the Cook Partisan Voting Index for the district is R +10, which hardly qualifies it as a swing district — and Tancredo has barely broken a sweat seeking re-election.
But an open seat in a purple state is sure to draw attention anyway.
Tancredo’s retirement leaves House Republicans with another open seat to protect in the 2008 cycle. The news is sure to buoy Democrats as they seek to expand their House majority.
However, the strong Republican bent of the Congressman’s suburban Denver 6th district should keep the seat safe from a Democratic takeover and all but ensure victory in the general election for the eventual GOP nominee, especially considering the fact that 2008 is a presidential year.
Tancredo’s worst performance since ascending to the House in 1998 occurred in 2000, when he won re-election with 54 percent of the vote. President Bush won the suburban Denver 6th district with 60 percent of the vote in 2000 and 2004.
The heated GOP primary that is likely to ensue to replace Tancredo could feature state Sens. Ted Harvey and Tom Wiens and small business owner Wil Armstrong, the son of former Sen. Bill Armstrong (R-Colo.).
The state Senate districts held by Harvey and Wiens include separate though significant chunks of the 6th Congressional district. That could give each of them an advantage over other potential primary candidates, although their support does not extend outside of their legislative seats.
Armstrong’s father, the former Senator, is still revered by Colorado Republicans, and that could help the small-business man should he run for Congress. However, he would have to overcome the notion that he is trying to win a political office on his father’s coattails.
“Ted [Harvey] and Tom [Wiens] both are very serious, legitimate candidates,” a knowledgeable Colorado Republican told Roll Call last week. “But I think Wil [Armstrong] is the intriguing wild card that could surprise a lot of people. I don’t think there’s a frontrunner in it.”
Regardless, Tancredo’s absence from the chamber will make the House of Representatives that much more sane.