Wisconsin Sen. Herb Kohl to retire
By HENRY C. JACKSONand CARRIE ANTLFINGER, Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl announced Friday that he's not running for re-election in 2012.
The decision by Kohl, 76, is a blow to Democrats who will now have to defend another open seat against Republicans in a swing state. Kohl is the fifth Democratic senator to announce his retirement ahead of the 2012 election.
Republicans will see Kohl's retirement as a clear pickup opportunity. A self-funding millionaire, Kohl is also the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise and is widely popular in his state. Any candidate Democrats run is likely to need more financial support from the national party.
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Kohl is also one of only two Democrats who hold statewide office in Wisconsin. Republicans are coming off a year in which they defeated former Sen. Russ Feingold, reclaimed the governor's office and both houses of the Legislature, and picked up two seats in Congress.
Kohl would have been a formidable candidate, given his personal wealth and past success. He was first elected to the Senate in 1988, and won re-election in 2006 with 67 percent of the vote.
Democrats had thought as recently as last week that Kohl would run again.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, he worked as an investor before founding the Kohl's grocery and department stores that earned him a fortune.
He is also widely credited with keeping NBA basketball in the relatively small market of Milwaukee.
In the Senate, Kohl has been unassuming, often focusing on local issues. He serves as the chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, a key post for a state with a large elderly population.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)