Former Rep. Brad Carson (D-Okla.) put the kibosh on a bid for his former House seat Wednesday — just three weeks after he announced he would again run for it.
Carson cited personal reasons, including his 5-year-old son, as his rationale against running.
“Lots of people have encouraged me, the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] and others,” Carson told Roll Call in a phone interview. “But after thinking about it, and despite the encouragement, it’s just not something that I want to do again.”
Democrats saw Carson as their best shot at keeping the competitive, Southeastern Oklahoma district. But a few other candidates expressed interest already in running, including former state Sen. Kenneth Corn (D), who ran for lieutenant governor in 2010. Corn issued a press release earlier this month saying he is “very likely” to run.
Republicans are optimistic they can pick up the seat. State Rep. George Faught (R) announced earlier this month that he had formed an exploratory committee for the race. Republicans expect others to also jump into the race.
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