IN-07: Julia Carson Won’t Run for Re-Election

Rep. Julia Carson announced today that her long political career is coming to an end:

U.S. Rep. Julia Carson, who announced Saturday she has terminal lung cancer, will not run for re-election, her chief of staff said this morning.

Leonard Sistek, who has led Carson’s Washington office for a year and previously worked with her on the House committee handling veterans’ issues, said he is not aware at this time of any plans by Carson to step down early from her term, which ends in 2008.

“She is hopeful that she is going to return to Washington, probably after the first of the year,” Sistek said. “That’s her plan. Whether she’ll be able to make that plan or not, I don’t know.”

Our thoughts are with her.