Report: Goodwin won't run for W.Va. Senate

Former Sen. Carte Goodwin, considered a top potential Democratic candidate to replace retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), has decided against a run for Senate.

According to WV MetroNews, Carte will not run because of "family concerns." The former senator, who was appointed as a caretaker to Sen. Robert Byrd's (D-W.Va.) seat after he died in 2010, has a young family.

Goodwin was at the top of most Democrats' lists in the state of potential recruits to take on the likely Republican nominee, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who was the first contender to jump in the race following Rockefeller's announcement that he would be retiring in 2014.

Capito marks a recruiting success for the GOP this cycle, but Democrats have yet to front a candidate for the seat. Possible contenders include local businessman Ralph Baxter, state Supreme Court Justice Robin Davis, Rep. Nick Rahall and Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, all of whom have expressed interest in running.

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