Hoekstra to announce retirement

Less than a week after being reappointed as the top
Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) will
announce that he will not seek a tenth term in 2010, according to a
source with knowledge of the decision.

Hoekstra, who has denied earlier reports that he will
retire and consider a run for governor, will make the announcement on Monday,
the source told The Hill.

{mosads}Emails sent to Hoekstra staffers were not returned late
Sunday night.

The Second District congressman’s contemplation of a run
for governor is common knowledge among Michigan political watchers.

Incumbent Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) is barred by state
law from seeking a third term in 2010. So far, Flint Mayor Don Williamson (D)
and Michigan State University trustee George Perles (D), a former Spartan
football coach, have declared their candidacies. Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D) is seen
as the front-running Democrat in the race.
On the Republican side, Hoekstra will likely face off against Attorney General
Mike Cox (R), who has formed a gubernatorial exploratory committee. Secretary
of State Terri Lynn Land (R) is also term-limited and has been mentioned as a
possible candidate for governor. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard (R), who
ran for Senate in 2006, and Domino’s Pizza CEO David Brandon (R) have not ruled
out bids of their own.

The battle to replace Hoekstra could give Democrats an
opportunity to contest another Michigan congressional seat. His district, based
on the shores of Lake Michigan, gave President Bush 60 percent of the vote in
2004, but John McCain won just 50.8 percent of the vote in 2008.

Hoekstra will become the latest Republican member of the
House Intelligence Committee to announce his departure from the lower chamber.
The second-ranking Republican on the committee, Rep. Terry Everett (Ala.), is
retiring this year, while Rep. Heather Wilson (N.M.) lost a bid for Senate in
2008.

The retirement list could still grow. Rep. Todd Tiahrt
(R-Kan.) is considering a bid for a Senate seat left open by the retirement of
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), the third-ranking
Republican on the Intelligence Committee, had to be convinced to run for a
twelfth term in 2008, leaving some to wonder whether he will run again in two
years.

If Gallegly retires, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas),
presently the committee’s fifth-ranking member, would be next in line for the
ranking member’s slot.