Seat Nearly Lost by GOP Again to Be Up for Grabs

Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio) announced yesterday that she will retire from one of the most competitive House districts in the country, after squeaking to victory in a hotly contested race in 2006.

Pryce had served as the No. 4 Republican in the GOP House majority. She said she will quit after eight terms in order to spend more time with her family, including her aging parents and a daughter about to start kindergarten.

In a statement from her district office in Columbus, Ohio, Pryce, 56, said, "There is never a good time to leave a job you love, but for me, the right time is now."

In November, Pryce beat Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy by just over 1,000 votes. Pryce's retirement means that the narrowly divided district will remain a top target for both parties.

"This is a Republican seat that we plan on keeping Republican for a long time to come," said Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Pryce's announcement is the latest in a rash of GOP retirements, including that this week of J. Dennis Hastert (Ill.), the former speaker of the House. Rep. Charles W. "Chip" Pickering of Mississippi announced later yesterday that he will not seek a seventh term, although his seat is viewed as safely Republican. House Democrats have two confirmed retirements.

Two possible GOP contenders for Pryce's seat are state Sen. Steve Stivers and former state attorney general Jim Petro. Stivers, a member of the Army National Guard who served in Iraq, has held the state Senate seat since he was appointed to it in 2003, winning a full term in 2004. Petro lost a primary bid for governor last year.

Kilroy has already declared her candidacy.

Washingtonpost.com staff writer Chris Cillizza contributed to this report.