Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), a co-chair of the moderate Blue Dog caucus in the House, will not run for re-election in 2012.
According to a report in National Journal, Ross could resurface as a gubernatorial candidate in 2014 when Democratic Governor Mike Beebe is forced out by term limits, a position he has expressed interest in in the past.
His seat, the last Democratic one remaining in the state, will be difficult for the party to hold. While Ross was a popular and resilient politician, his district went 58% for John McCain in the 2000 presidential race and has only grown more Republican since the lines were redrawn in redistricting. He’s the fourth Blue Dog to retire from the House this year after surviving the 2010 midterms, which eliminated dozens of Democrats in similar swing districts.
