DeLay Sees Writing On Wall: Calls It Quits

Ex-Majority Leader Tom DeLay Won't Seek Re-Election

The scandal imbued Tom DeLay has decided not to continue his bid for re-election and plans on resigning from congress... while we are relieved to see him to do the honorable thing, we wish him well in his future endeavors... right after he finishes his jail term (should he be convicted).

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texan touched by a lobbying scandal that ensnared some of his former top aides and cost the Republican his leadership post, won't seek re-election to Congress and intends to resign, Republican officials said Monday.

They said DeLay would leave his seat in May or June.

It was not clear whether or how DeLay could remove his name from the November ballot, but if he did, party officials would presumably be able to select a replacement who could then run against Democratic nominee Nick Lampson.

It's unclear when DeLay reached his decision, but one official said he began informing close associates late last week. That was around the same time as a second former aide, Tony Rudy, pleaded guilty in a federal corruption investigation that has reached into DeLay's office.

DeLay was expected to disclose his plans Tuesday at a news conference in Houston, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the congressman had not yet made that announcement.

Several officials said DeLay, an 11-term congressman, called Texas members of Congress to tell them he was abandoning his re-election race.

"He'll resign," a former senior DeLay aide said.

In an interview with The Galveston County Daily News in Texas, DeLay said his decision was based partly on troubling internal polling results, including a poll taken after the March Republican primary that showed him narrowly ahead of Democrat Nick Lampson.