NH-Sen: Judd Gregg Withdraws Cabinet Nomination, Won’t Run in 2010

Wow:

Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has withdrawn his nomination to become President Barack Obama’s commerce secretary.

In a statement released by his office, the New Hampshire senator cites “irresolvable conflicts” on issues including the economic stimulus package.

I wonder if these “irresolvable conflicts” included the humiliation of being stripped of authority over the 2010 Census.

So Gregg goes back to the Senate (he never left). Does this mean he’ll run again in 2010? There had been a considerable amount of doubt about that point for a while before his Cabinet nomination, and his initial acceptance of the Cabinet slot seemed to confirm that he was losing interest in his Senate career.

SSP currently rates this race as a Tossup, but we are monitoring Gregg’s re-elections plans closely and will update our ratings if need be.

(Hat-tip: Cheekster)

UPDATE: First Read and the Union Leader both confirm that Gregg won’t run for another term in 2010. (Hat-tips: LeftistAddiction and omarka)

70 thoughts on “NH-Sen: Judd Gregg Withdraws Cabinet Nomination, Won’t Run in 2010”

  1. will he look indecisive? or will he have earned bi-partisan cred from this episode and thus be stronger?

  2. And I, too, am wondering if he’ll run for re-election. Im sure Hodes will still run since itd be a tossup race even with him in (Gregg is probably popular in NH but hes not extremely popular…and this is a blue state right now). But Hodes would have a much easier time against a non-incumbent Republican nominee. Such as Bass or Bradley or Sununnu.  

  3. to conflicts with Obama admin, I suspect he’s aware of the forecasts that NH-Sen now becomes the most likely seat to flip in 2010 with his resignation. And couldn’t stomach that he’d be responsible for that.

  4. Not Obama.  Obama picked another republican in Gregg as part of his bi-partisan approach.  Gregg accepted then gutlessly changed his mind to go along with his party’s very partisan approach.

    Obama should use this oppostunity to pick a rock solid liberal for Commerce and give that person control of the census.  If the repubs want to stab us in the back let them deal with the consequences.

  5. to prefer the incumbent Gregg over Sununu as an opponent for Hodes? The latter seems more ideologically in line with the new New Hampshire. I honestly don’t know the state very well, so I’m asking…

  6. It’s probably beter Obama doesn’t give the census back to Commerce.  It would just look like a cheap political trick to take it from Gregg but allow a Dem Commerce appointee to be in charge of it.  

  7. She was the third choice when Clinton nominated her.  Previous two nominees had trouble with confirmation.

  8. 1) Gregg announced he will no be running for re-elect: http://unionleader.com/article

    In a conference call with reporters on Thursday to discuss his withdrawal from the Commerce Secretary nomination, Gregg also said he did not intend to run for reelection in 2010.

    2) Barack’s response is perfect (note that Gregg asked for the appointment, not the other way around):

       

    For Immediate Release February 12, 2009

       STATEMENT FROM PRESS SECRETARY

       ROBERT GIBBS

       “Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce. He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President’s agenda. Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart.”

    3) The stimulus/jobs bill, if anything, has gotten MORE conservative in the 4 weeks since Gregg accepted the appointment.  This was pure cowardice on Gregg’s part, he was getting beaten up by his homestate NH GOP party, and he couldn’t take the heat.  The census is a red herring.

  9. If Gregg goes through with his stated intention to retire, one wonders why he went through all this trouble. Was his job getting that bad? Or, like Voinivich and Bond, was he simply ready to call it quits? If so, a simple retirement announcement would have sufficed.

    I say second most botched because Elton Galleghy has him beat in that department with that whirlwind I’m retiring-now I’m not shenanigan a few years ago.

  10. There goes the GOP again putting country ahead of party.  LOL.  He’s not resigning over the stimulus.  Thats one piece of legislation.  Its the census.  The opportunity to put a stamp on the next decade’s Congressional membership was publicly taken away from him and therefore, we have “irresolbale conflicts.”  This guy’s a joke.  I hope he keeps his committment to retire.  The good people of NH deserve better than him (here’s looking at you Paul Hodes).

  11. Take that Senator Gregg!

    http://www.wmur.com/politics/1

    “I am surprised and disappointed at this sudden withdrawal. Senator Gregg would take us back to the years of George W. Bush rather than moving forward with the change agenda that the American people clearly want. I will continue to work with President Obama to create jobs and rebuild our economy for the middle class.

    I will be a candidate for the United State Senate in 2010. I look forward to working every day to stand up for New Hampshire as we come together to confront the economic crisis facing our nation.”

  12. when this talk started.

    Now, Hodes is clearly in, we can get folks running for his seat, and we don’t get some placeholder.

    Allin all, great news… the first really great news of all the cabinet shenanigans!

  13. to the belief that Gregg never planning on running again anyway.  With Hodes officially in now, that likelihood drops even closer to zero.

    Best possible outcome for all of us.

  14. Any word as to whether Bob Smith is going to move back to New Hampsire and run for Senate?  Or maybe he’ll just stay here in Florida and run.  This guy’s options are limitless with all the GOP open seats.

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