In a potential blow to Democrats' efforts to hold on to the South Dakota Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., former Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin announced Monday that she will not run in 2014.
Herseth Sandlin, who lost her House seat to Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., in 2010 but remains popular in the state, indicated that her decision not to run reflects a desire to continue spending time with her family.
"While I know you share my confidence that working together we could win a statewide race next year, I'm also confident that the decision not to run is the right decision for Max, Zachary, me and our entire family," Herseth Sandlin said in a post on her Facebook page.
"Zachary will be starting kindergarten in the fall of 2014, just weeks before next year's general election," she added. "Further, I have tremendous respect for my fellow team members at Raven, and I'm committed to the success of the company."
Herseth Sandlin's decision combined with reports suggesting that U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson will also stay out of the race suggests that Democrats will face an uphill battle to retain the seat.
Rick Weiland, who served as an aide to former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, has jumped into the race but would likely face a daunting challenge in a state Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney won by 18 percentage points in 2012.
Former governor Mike Rounds is currently seen as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination but is expected to face a challenge from the right.
Democrats are also expected to have a tough time hanging on to the seats held by retiring Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Max Baucus of Montana.
Overall, Democrats will have to defend 21 of the 35 seats that will be up for grabs in the 2014 elections. The GOP would need to pick up six seats to win a majority in the Senate.
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