Delaware Republican Rep. Michael N. Castle says he'll take about a month to make a decision about his 2010 political plans.
Speaking to WDEL radio interviewer Allan Loudell on Monday about his upcoming decision, Castle said: "I have a responsibility, primarily to the Republican Party of Delaware, to make it relatively soon. And relatively means in the next month or so."
Republican strategists in Delaware and Washington are anxiously awaiting Castle's decision, which will transform the state's 2010 political outlook. Castle is seriously considering a bid for the Senate seat formerly by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and he would be the early favorite even though Delaware is trending Democratic.
Castle, who turned 70 last month, might also retire from political life.
Castle is not expected to seek re-election to the state's at-large congressional district, which Democrat John Carney, a former lieutenant governor, also is seeking.
"Obviously, if I don't run for the House or the Senate, they have to get two candidates. If I run for the Senate and not the House, they have to get a candidate for the House, or the other way around," Castle told WDEL. "So it gives everybody else who is interested in running the opening that they would need, and I would want to help those people."
In the event he does not seek any office in 2010, Castle said that there are some "good young elected officials in the state who possibly could run on a statewide basis and should be looked at."
Castle in particular identified former state Sen. Charlie Copeland, who was the party's 2008 nominee for lieutenant governor, and state Reps. Tom Kovach and Greg Lavelle.
You can listen to the full interview here.
CQ Politics currently rates the general election race as Republican Favored.
To see how all the 2010 House races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics election map.
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Comments
All this depends on whether Castle wants to be a "Lifer" or not. By lifer I mean like Sens. Robert Byrd and Ted Kennedy to name a few. Being in the Senate is what these people live for and they will not retire unless forced to, one way or the other.
Posted by: NObama
| August 4, 2009 1:01 PM
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