The veteran congressman seems to be still weighing all three options, judging from some comments he made Monday to a group in financial planners in Philadelphia (not far from Castle's Wilmington hometown).
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Joseph N. DiStefano, Castle said, "My wife talks about beaches in Florida. I don't know if I want to run for the House again, let alone for the four years of Biden's term."
Castle was referring to the Senate seat formerly held by Joseph R. Biden Jr., whose 2008 election as vice president was simultaneous with his re-election to the Senate. Biden resigned, and so there will be a special election in November 2010 to fill the remaining four years of Biden's term.
Castle, a popular Delaware officeholder over four decades, would be the strongest Republican candidate for the Senate seat, which Biden's son, Democratic state Attorney General Beau Biden, may also seek. Interim Democratic Sen. Ted Kaufman isn't running in the special election.
Castle would be favored to win re-election to the House, though this time he'd face a serious Democratic opponent in John Carney, a former lieutenant governor.
Castle's retirement would complicate Republican chances of capturing a Democratic-held Senate seat or retaining his at-large House seat in a state that has trended strongly Democratic in recent elections.
Expect Castle to make a decision soon -- perhaps on or around his 70th birthday on July 2. He wants to give Republican officials plenty of notice to recruit candidates and prepare campaigns for the House seat or the Senate seat (or both).
To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.
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