WY-Sen-A: Enzi Will Seek Another Term

From the Associated Press:

Sen. Mike Enzi announced Saturday that he is running for a third term.

There had been speculation that Enzi would not seek re-election after he was passed over for a seat on the powerful Senate Finance Committee earlier this year.

Enzi made his announcement at the Gillette City Hall. He spent more than 10 minutes speaking about his achievements and thanking his supporters before he made clear that he is running.

I’m mildly surprised, considering that Enzi’s had a pretty lousy time lately in the Senate, getting passed over for an assignment on the Finance Committee by his GOP colleagues.

WY-Sen-A: Enzi Decision Coming on Saturday

Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi, the subject of retirement speculation for months, will reveal his re-election decision this Saturday over a few pints of root beer:

The Wyoming Republican, 64, will make the announcement at 10 a.m. at city hall in his hometown of Gillette, where he served as mayor. He and wife Diana then will host an ice cream social with root beer floats.

Enzi’s silence about his political future has led to speculation that he may consider not running again. His relatively slower fundraising pace, plus his anger over decisions by Republican leaders to twice deny him a committee assignment that by seniority should have been his, led to questions about the prospect of his retirement.

[…]

Enzi will make the announcement in just one city, not launch his campaign with multiple stops around the state. When Enzi announced his first Senate campaign in April 1996 and his re-election bid in March 2002, he held events in Casper.

That could be taken as an indicator he might retire — but like the fundraising totals, is not a definitive sign, said Nathan Gonzales, political editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, which analyzes national races.

“It always seems to me that races start a little later in Wyoming, and someone like Sen. Enzi is probably not anxious to raise a lot of money he’s not going to need,” Gonzales said.

“Unless you’re his immediate family, you’re probably in the dark on this one,” he added.

There has also been some speculation that Enzi might take the unusual step of trading terms with Sen. John Barrasso, letting Barrasso run for a full six-year term, while Enzi would run to fill the remaining four years of the late Sen. Craig Thomas’ term.  This move would allow Enzi to make his retirement in 2012 instead of 2014.  We’ll see.

WY-Sen-A: Might Enzi Retire?

From The Hill:

Nine months before Election Day, Republican Mike Enzi is mum about whether he will ask Wyoming voters to send him back to the Senate for a third term. […]

The low-profile Enzi won’t provide a timeline for his decision, but Wyoming candidates have to file their paperwork between May 15-30 and primaries aren’t held until Aug. 19. […]

Some suspect that Enzi might be leaning towards leaving after he fumed about the decision by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bypass him for a vacant Finance Committee seat.

McConnell appointed Sen. John Sununu (N.H.), a first-term senator and one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection in 2008, to the committee, which has broad jurisdiction over taxes, trade and healthcare issues.

Enzi, an accountant by training, has long sought a spot on the committee, and last week’s snub was the second time this Congress he has been bypassed in favor of a more junior member. […]

Asked for his reaction last week after the latest snub, Enzi told The Hill: “Sure. I’m pissed.”

2008: The greatest political horse race year in decades?