Sen. Tom Carper has made it official.
The longtime U.S. senator from Delaware announced Monday that he won’t seek reelection in 2024, calling the present moment the “opportune time to step aside.”
Carper is the third Democratic senator to retire ahead of what’s expected to be a challenging election cycle for his party. With a favorable map, the opportunity is ripe for Republicans to regain control of the Senate.
However, Delaware is considered a safe Democrat safe.
Carper has strongly hinted that he wants Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, his state’s at-large U.S. representative, to replace him.
Fox News has more:
Carper, 76, served as governor of Delaware before winning four terms as a Delaware senator. His retirement may cause a pitched battle among Democrats to win the party’s primary for the deep blue seat. Carper did indicate support for a specific successor on Monday.
“While nothing is forever, the Delaware Democratic Party is blessed today with a bench as strong as any I’ve ever seen in the 50 years that I’ve called Delaware home,” Carper said in a press conference. “If there was ever an opportune time to step aside and pass the torch to the next generation, it’s coming, and it will be here on January 3, 2025.
“But, until then, God willing, I’ll continue working 60-hour weeks and coming home on the train most nights as long as Martha keeps leaving the light on for me,” he added.
Carper says he called Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Monday morning and said he was “getting out of the way” in order for her to run. He said she accepted his support but then he declined to say whether she plans to run.
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