Rep. Ron Paul announced Tuesday that he won’t seek re-election to the Texas U.S. House seat he’s presented for nearly 24 years, and instead will concentrate on getting the Republican nomination for president to run against President Obama in 2012. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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Paul made the announcement via Twitter, and linked to a local Texas newspaper to share the details.
“I felt it was better that I concentrate on one election,” Paul told The Facts, a news service covering Brazoria County, Texas, a portion of which Paul represents. “It’s about that time when I should change tactics.”
Paul, 75, has run for the presidency three times, and cultivated a substantial following in the 2008 primary race running on the themes of limited government and less federal spending as well as personal liberties and a limited role in international conflicts.
Paul told the newspaper that he thinks his chances in 2012 for the GOP nomination are better than they were in 2008.
“We have a lot more support right now,” he reportedly said. “Things are doing well for us.”
An obstetrician by profession, Paul served four terms in the U.S. House between 1976-1984, then ran again as part of the 1994 Republican Revolution. His departure leaves the race for the seat wide open.
