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Sarbanes Declines to
Seek Re-election in 2006
By Megan McIlroy BALTIMORE - Sen. Paul Sarbanes announced Friday that he will not seek re-election in 2006, ending a three-decades-long career as a Maryland senator and touching off speculation about who might succeed him on Capitol Hill. Sarbanes, 72, Maryland’s longest-serving U.S. senator with 29 years in office, said age was a factor in his decision. He noted a win in 2006 would mean he would retire at 80. “When I got into public office, it was not my ambition to stay there until they carried me out,” he said. “It’s not as if I just got to the Senate and I am leaving.” Though the announcement was a sudden one, Sarbanes said he had been thinking about the decision for a few years. “There’s always been a pressure in the back of my mind,” he said. Sarbanes dismissed rumors that poor health propelled his decision. “My health is fine,” he said. Though there was much talk at the afternoon news conference about Sarbanes’ post-retirement plans, the senator stressed that he still had 22 months in office before retirement. He vowed “to be as tough and effective of a U.S. senator as I can.” He said he would use his last months in the Senate to “focus all attention on challenging (President Bush's) radical agenda.” He cited the federal deficit, excessive tax cuts and program cuts as issues he wanted to focus on in upcoming months. At the news conference, Sarbanes’ mood was light-hearted. He cracked jokes about his low-key profile as a U.S. senator, which led some reporters to dub him the “stealth senator.” “One of the most powerful weapons in the military is the stealth bomb,” Sarbanes said, smiling. Sarbanes was also reflective about the state of American politics today. He cited a “meanness” in politics and noted that he and his staff “kept it on a high road” and never engaged in political tactics to sully the names of other candidates. He said he was disappointed that the focus of many candidates now seems to be “90 percent on running and winning” and 10 percent on politics. “We run for office in order to do things,” he said. Sarbanes said he made his announcement well in advance of the 2006 elections partially “to give others who are interested an opportunity” to campaign. He did not endorse any potential Democratic candidate. “There are a number of strong candidates,” Sarbanes said, adding that he did not want to put a spotlight on any one. Maryland Reps. Chris Van Hollen (D-8th) and Ben Cardin (D-3rd) said Friday they are among those considering running for Sarbanes' seat in 2006. Aides for Reps. Albert Wynn (D-4th) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-2nd) said they are also considering it. Sarbanes' career in elective politics began with a stint in the Maryland House of Delegates, beginning in 1967. He served three two-year terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning in 1971. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976. As a congressman, Sarbanes was known for a liberal voting record. He assured himself a place in American history books when, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he introduced the first article of impeachment in proceedings against President Nixon. One of his more famous pieces of legislation as a senator was the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, aimed at curbing corporate fraud. He now serves as the ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. He has been vocal recently against President Bush’s plan to partially privatize Social Security. Sarbanes, who credits his Greek Orthodox parents for instilling in him the values of public service, was born on Maryland's Eastern Shore and attended Wicomico High School. He went on to Princeton University, was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and got his law degree from Harvard Law School. Copyright © 2005 University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism
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