North Carolina Rep. Mike McIntyre won't be taking on Republican incumbent Richard Burr in the state's 2010 Senate race.
Mike McIntyre (Getty Images/Logan Mock-Bunting)
The seven-term Democrat published a statement on his
campaign Web site Monday announcing that he will seek re-election to the House. "I deeply appreciate the confidence and encouragement from many who have asked me to consider the U.S. Senate race," he wrote. But, "With the leadership positions I currently hold in the U.S. House, there is a greater opportunity to capitalize on these to benefit our constituents and the citizens of North Carolina."
McIntyre is a Democratic whip and a member of the Majority Leader's Advisory Council.
With McIntyre's decision, Democrats continue to struggle to recruit a top-tier challenger to Burr, despite Democratic gains in the state in past two election cycles and polls showing Burr vulnerable. Attorney General Roy Cooper and North Carolina Reps. Heath Shuler, Brad Miller and Bob Etheridge have all rejected overtures to run.
McIntyre, a centrist Democrat and member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, would have made a strong candidate capable of appealing to moderates on both sides of the political divide. He won re-election to his 7th District seat in 2008 by more than 30 points, despite the fact that the district backed Republican presidential nominee John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama.
The cupboard is not completely bare for Democrats, however. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall continues to weigh a Senate run, and she has the statewide profile and campaign chops to mount a credible run. Also considering a campaign is former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, who served a tour of duty in Iraq as part of the Army Reserves, Judge Advocate General's Corps. Cunningham has no time line for making a decision.
And Durham Attorney Kenneth Lewis has begun fundraising and hiring a campaign team for a run, including veteran strategist Joe Trippi, the Charlotte News and Observer reported. Neither Lewis nor Cunningham, however, have comparable name recognition to Marshall.
CQ Politics currently rates the general election a TossUp, but that hinges on Democrats' ability to reel in one of the remaining Democrats eyeing the race.
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