October 29, 2007 04:05 PM UTC

Tancredo Won't Run for CD-6 Re-Election

• 0 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

As we’ve said on the Big Line for months, and the Rocky Mountain News reports today:

Even if he loses his long-shot bid for the White House, Rep. Tom Tancredo will be leaving the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of 2008.

Tancredo, 61 , waited until after the Colorado Rockies’ last out of the World Series on Sunday night before announcing that he plans to retire from Congress at the end of this, his fifth term.

“It’s the fact that I really believe I have done all I can do in the House, especially about the issue (immigration) about which I care greatly,” he said.

Tancredo said other people are now taking up leadership on the immigration issue…

The decision is not a surprise, considering Tancredo’s repeated complaints that his presidential run was taking a heavy toll on him and his family. But it is sure to set off a mad succession scramble in his solidly conservative, suburban Denver district.

Tancredo parlayed a back-bench seat in Congress into a national megaphone to oppose illegal immigration, denounce a so-called “cult of multiculturalism” and warn about a “clash of civilizations” between radical Islam and Western civilizations.

Those issues have been the centerpiece of Tancredo’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008, although he has yet to break out of single digits in most polls…

Initial predictions: lively GOP primary. Seat stays GOP, but Dems will make a more serious run than in years past — meaning no unseasoned candidacies like that of Bill Winter. Republican state Sen. Tom Wiens will declare early and work hard to be anointed frontrunner, but don’t count Mike Coffman out of this thing.

We hate to say we told you so, but…who are we kidding? We told you so. As always, remember that you read it here at Colorado Pols first. Kudos to M.E. Sprengelmeyer of the News for getting the scoop on the official announcement.

Speculate away…