Hourly Update

Kolbe won't seek re-election

U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, a leading proponent of free trade and the only openly gay Republican in Congress, announced Wednesday he won't seek a 12th term in 2006. Kolbe, first elected in 1984, acknowledged in 1996 that he is gay and has often disagreed with his party on gay rights issues. Kolbe, 63, released a statement saying he'd concluded it was time he and his district "walk down different paths." "I make this decision not out of despair or discouragement or even uncertainty about my political prospects for election," he said. "I have both the energy and the enthusiasm for the job I do, and I am confident that I would win re-election if I chose to run." Kolbe did not disclose any specific plans but said he looked forward "to finding new avenues of service" and being able to spend more time in Arizona. A political ally, state Sen. Toni Hellon, R-Tucson, said as a friend, she welcomed Kolbe's decision. "But as a constituent, it's a sad thing," she said. Hellon said Kolbe called her Wednesday to disclose his decision. "He wants to do other things and just how long do you wait before you do that?" she said. Kolbe's 8th Congressional District narrowly went for President Bush in 2004 and its mix of moderates and Hispanics could improve Democratic chances of winning the seat in 2006, especially with Bush's approval ratings dropping. He has served as chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations and export financing, a critical position in determining the amount of U.S. assistance to foreign nations. One of the proverbial "cardinals" in Congress - chairman of a panel that determines how much money Congress spends - Kolbe has been a strong proponent of free trade and a key backer of the President Bush's Millennium Challenge Account that rewards poor countries that show a commitment to economic and government reform. He first was elected to Congress in 1984, when he defeated then-Rep. Jim McNulty, a Democrat. Kolbe easily won re-election to an 11th term in 2004, capturing 61 percent of the general-election vote in a district that includes part of Tucson and the northern suburbs as well as Sierra Vista and rural areas of southeastern Arizona. Former state Rep. Randy Graf, a conservative who challenged Kolbe in 2004, has said he plans to run again in 2006. Other Republicans mentioned as possible candidates for the seat include Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, former Republican National Committeeman Mike Hellon, former Pima County Republican Chairman John Munger and state Reps. Steve Huffman and Jonathan Paton. State Sen. Gabrielle Giffords has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate. With the Tucson area's population growth, a replacement will likely come from that part of the district and mean the district's rural portions will lose the quality of representation provided by Kolbe, who had a home in Sonoita in eastern Santa Cruz County, Toni Hellon said. Kolbe's departure from Arizona's congressional delegation would be a "huge loss of seniority," said Doug Cole, a lobbyist and former senior aide to former Republican Gov. Fife Symington.