Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann's decision not to seek reelection in 2014 makes her the first member of the House to announce an outright retirement next year. Four Democrats and five Republicans have announced bids for other offices, bringing the total number of open seats to ten, zero of which are between D+5 and R+5 in our Partisan Voter Index. Bachmann's retirement enhances Republicans' chances of holding Minnesota's 6th District next fall.
After years of inflammatory rhetoric and a failed presidential venture, Bachmann came within 5,000 votes of losing reelection to wealthy Democratic hotelier Jim Graves in 2012. In fact, favorable redistricting may have actually saved Bachmann from defeat. With Graves taking aim at Bachmann again and the FBI joining an investigation into her campaign's finances, Bachmann's decision to spare herself another tough race in 2014 makes sense.
Bachmann's decision also relieves House GOP leadership of an unflattering distraction who not only perennially put an otherwise safe GOP seat at risk but damaged the party's brand nationally and hoarded the millions she raised from a loyal grassroots base for her own
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