Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., was already going to retire, but now he has announced he will resign from the Senate, effective May 3, per Roll Call. This comes after the senator avoided an indictment and still faces a Senate Ethics Committee investigation.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, R, will appoint a replacement, and that could make things interesting. Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is the only Republican in the race to replace Ensign, and would be the natural choice. The appointment will give him a slight leg up for next fall, when he will face the winner of what is shaping up as a tough Democratic primary.