Bob Ney Ends Re-Election Bid

After months of pressure, Bob Ney is dropping out the race to keep his House seat.

Entangled in the scandals involving former Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, embattled U.S. Rep. Robert Ney is ending his re-election bid. Although Ney had vowed to stay in the race even if he is indicted, the Ohio Republican decided last week to bow out. He said he has informed House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, of the decision.

“I’m doing this for one reason: my family,” Ney said in an exclusive interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “My wife and two children have been through enough. I really believe this is the best decision.”

It’s always the family, isn’t it?

Quite interesting:

Another potential factor: Contributions to Ney’s legal-defense fund dried up over the summer. He raised no money for the fund over the last three months after picking up $65,000 in the year’s first quarter, according to financial disclosure records. The only assets listed on his most recent financial disclosure statement were a checking account containing less than $1,000 and a rental home in Greece.

Presuming that his financial statements are accurate–and who knows at this point–that’s simply stunning. He’s simultaneously almost flat broke and has a rental home in Greece? Isn’t that just a wee bit odd?

Ney expects state Sen. Joy Padgett’s name to surface as his successor in the fall race. “She is a person of passion and conviction,” Ney said. “I can think of no better person to represent this district.”

I know nothing about Sen. Padgett but would think she has a much better shot at retaining the seat for the GOP than an incumbent tied to a convicted felon.

FILED UNDER: 2006 Election, Congress, , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. walter66 says:

    “I’m doing this for one reason: my family,” Ney said…..

    if only he would have thought of his family BEFORE he took abramoff’s bribes

  2. The Game says:

    Well done on the blog. I am always looking for smart conservatives to come over to my blog and leave some comments. I will definately put this one in my favorites list…stop by and leave a comment.

  3. Isn’t this DeLay redoux and he can’t quit (unless you are a democrat in New Jersey after the time for withdrawing and getting a new name on the ballot because said democrat is losing the election badly to a republican).

  4. legion says:

    Well, I think Ohio still has a little time left to tweak their ballots before they go ‘final’ for the elections.

    Also, I wonder if the Greek house has any connection to Abramoff too…

  5. Legion,

    Under Texas law, we had time to tweak the ballots also. I’m just waiting for the lawsuit that forces him to run anyway.

  6. walter66 says:

    when you say “tweak”…..do you mean the Ken “I owned Diebold stock before I knew I owned Diebold stock” Blackwell/Diebold type of tweak or a different type of tweak?

    thirty years of voting in Ohio and tommorrow I will have to produce a registration card issued by the state……wtf

  7. legion says:

    By tweak, I mean legally replace Ney on the ballot with someone less likely to be wearing an orange jumpsuit in his Congressional class picture…

    As YAJ says, Texas law says they can move Delay off, but the debate is whether federal law overrides in federal Congress races, so I guess the upcoming SCOTUS opinion on Delay will also affect Ney, since Ney won his primary months ago…

  8. walter66 says:

    Joy Padgett in her campaign against Terry Anderson, ran ads stating that he was a terrorist sympathizer. Anderson was held hostage for seven years in Lebanon in the 80s. Padgett’s ad showed a picture of Anderson shaking hands with a man in a turban upon his return to Lebanon on a reconciliation trip.

    nice….