●Carl Levin (Mich.): Levin has said he won’t make any announcement on whether he will seek a seventh term until 2013. But, Levin will be 80 if he stands for reelection in 2014, and ended September with less than $300,000 in the bank. Of course, Levin was the subject of retirement rumors in 2008, ignored them and cruised to victory. If he does step aside, there will be crowded primaries in both parties, although the state’s Democratic lean makes it more likely than not that Levin’s seat won’t flip.
●Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.): In the wake of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-W.Va.) announcement late last month that she would seek the Senate seat held by Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat offered this response: “Politics can wait.” That was less than encouraging for those Democratic Party strategists who were hoping for a stronger statement. Rockefeller is likely to wait and see if Capito faces a conservative challenge — as has been rumored — in the GOP primary before making any final decision.
Chris Cillizza
Chris Cillizza is founder and editor of The Fix, a leading blog on state and national politics. He is the author of The Gospel According to the Fix: An Insider’s Guide to a Less than Holy World of Politics and an MSNBC contributor and political analyst. He also regularly appears on NBC and NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show. He joined The Post in 2005 and was named one of the top 50 journalists by Washingtonian in 2009.
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Republicans
●Thad Cochran (Miss.): Every six years Cochran starts off on these sorts of retirement lists and every six years he winds up running for reelection and winning. Cochran will be 76 on Election Day 2014 and Republicans’ failure to win back the majority last month means two more years serving in the minority party. Cochran had less than $350,000 in the bank at the end of September, but given his political strength, the state’s strong Republican lean and the lack of a serious Democratic opponent on the horizon, he probably doesn’t need much money.
●Mike Enzi (Wyo.): Like Cochran, Enzi faces two more years (at least) of waiting if he wants to become chairman of a Senate committee. He’s currently the ranking minority member on the HELP committee. “I’m running hard,” Enzi told Politico late last month. Of course, all politicians are running hard up to the moment they decide they aren’t running anymore. If Enzi steps aside, expect lots of chatter about the possibility of Liz Cheney, the daughter of the former vice president, seeking the seat.
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