Rep. Costello to seek chairmanship of Science and Technology Committee

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) announced his retirement yesterday, beginning speculation about his successor.

As chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, Gordon became the first full committee chairman in the House to call it quits this cycle, colleague Aaron Blake reports.

Rep. Jerry Costello (Ill.), the second-ranking Democrat on the panel, said after the announcement that he would seek the chairmanship. Third-ranking Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) said she would support Costello and fourth-ranking Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) won’t seek the post.

Republicans have targeted more than a dozen Democrats for retirement. Those on the watch list include three other committee chairmen -- Reps. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), John Spratt (D-S.C.) and Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) -- as well as Reps. Marion Berry (D-Ark.), Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.).

Boucher, of course, is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.

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