Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection in 2012.
In a statement, Webb said he has decided to return to the private sector, though he didn’t elaborate. He said he has “every intention of remaining involved in the issues that affect the well-being and the future of our country.”
Webb had declined in recent months to say whether or not he intended to run, those there was broad speculation that he would not. In addition to keeping his intentions private, Webb has done none of the fundraising or preparation required to run a statewide campaign.
Former Virginia governor and senator George Allen, who lost his seat to Webb in 2006, now no longer faces a rematch with the senator, a race that could have been “the most exciting Senate race in the country next year, as it was in 2006,” Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, told The Washington Examiner.
