http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060404/ap_on_el_ho/delay

WASHINGTON - Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texan touched by a lobbying scandal that ensnared some of his former top aides and cost the Republican his leadership post, won't seek re-election to Congress, officials said Monday.

They said DeLay also is likely to resign his seat and leave Congress by the end of May.

DeLay was expected to disclose his plans Tuesday, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the congressman had not made that announcement.

Several officials said DeLay called Texas members of Congress to tell them he is dropping out of his re-election race.

"He'll resign," a former senior DeLay aide said.

awesome. nominations for new conservative boogeyman anyone?

He already won the primary with overwhelming Repub support...why would he quit now?

amen.

i wonder what's about to drop that he's getting out?

i say it again: amen.

Incumbent Republican congressman in Texas only getting 60% is hardly overwhelming support.

Additionally he was under huge pressure from national repubs to get out:

This following from Time:The surprise decision was based on the sort of ruthless calculation that had once given him unchallenged dominance of House Republicans and their wealthy friends in Washington's lobbying community: he realized he might lose in this November's election. DeLay got a scare in a Republican primary last month, and a recent poll taken by his campaign gave him a roughly 50-50 shot of winning, in an election season when Republicans need every seat they can hang onto to avoid a Democratic takeover of the House [...]

DeLay said he is likely to leave by the end of May, depending on the Congressional schedule and finishing his work on a couple of issues. He said he will change his legal residence to his condominium in Alexandria, Va., from his modest two-story home on a golf course here in the 22nd District of Texas. "I become ineligible to run for election if I'm not a resident of the state of Texas," he said, turning election law to his purposes for perhaps on last time. State Republican officials will then be able to name another Republican candidate to face Democrat Nick Lampson, a former House members who lost his seat in a redistricting engineered by DeLay.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is actually huge in many ways...and very surprising.

Looks like he's duckin and coverin'.

Good Riddance, tho. BYE FELICIA!!

question for someone more knowledgable--will his replacement get all of the incumbent goodies as soon as he takes over delay's seat? (i.e. franking privileges)

borg should qualify after he's put in a few more years at lockheed.