Castle declines top GOP committee post, citing 2010 options

Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) declined to pursue the top Republican spot on the House Education and Labor Committee, citing his still to-be-determined decision in the 2010 elections.

Castle is mulling whether to retire, run again for his longtime House seat, or take a stab at the Senate seat, leading him to decline the ranking member position on the committee.

“In my discussions with members of the Steering Committee, there were obvious concerns among the members and those in leadership as to whether or not I would continue to run for my current House seat,” Castle said in a statement. “Since I am not ready to announce a final decision on whether to run for the House, the Senate, or anything, and knowing House Republican leaders value continuity in this position, it would be unfair to pursue the Ranking Member post at this point in time.”

The move could signal that, if nothing else, Castle may not be back in the House after 2010; if he intended to stay in the House, he might have stayed on in the position.