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Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.) will retire from Congress at the end of the 110th Congress, his office confirmed Tuesday.
The 7th-term lawmaker had a campaign war chest of $447,429 as of Dec. 31, 2007, but withdrew his filing papers from the Kentucky board of elections before the 4 p.m. deadline Tuesday.
In 2006, he defeated Democrat Mike Weaver 55 percent to 45 percent.
The district is seen as solidly conservative. President Bush defeated Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) there 65 percent to 43 percent in 2004.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is confident that a new recruit would help keep the seat securely in GOP hands.
“We had been monitoring the situation closely and were able to successfully recruit Sen. Brett Guthrie to run. He is truly an A-plus candidate and we welcome his candidacy into the race,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain.
Lewis’s chief of staff, Daniel London, has also filed for the GOP nomination.
Democratic state Sen. David Boswell and Davies County Executive Reid Haire are vying for the Democratic nomination.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a release Tuesday noting that Lewis is the fourth House Republican in four business days who is “heading for the door” and the 27th this cycle.
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