 Representative Tom DeLay, the former House Majority Leader from Texas, has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2006 and that he will resign from his Congressional seat. Sources on Capitol Hill indicate that DeLay will take this steps in the coming months. DeLay had been a driving force in his leadership of the U.S. House and of House Republicans since he came to power some ten years ago. He resigned as Majority Leader when a grand jury in his home state of Texas indicted him on campaign finance violations. He has held his Congressional seat, set in suburban Houston, since 1984. DeLay did win the primary last month, but was facing what was shaping up to be a strong challenge from Democrat Nick Lampson, a former member of the House. In an interview with Time magazine, DeLay said he will make his retirement announcement today. He told the magazine that he was going to forgo the reelection campaign and was going to leave Congress. DeLay's race was shaping up to be touch because of his indictment and his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. DeLay indicated that he was very much at peace with his decisions. |
