Saying that "there's more to life than being a United States Senator," Assistant Minority Leader/Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) announced today he will not seek re-election next year.
Kyl, who has been in the Senate since 1995, received $10,000 from CUNA's PAC when he last won re-election in 2006 and $1,000 from NAFCU's PAC.
As the No.2 member of the GOP leadership, he has played a key role in setting the party's agenda in that chamber and in opposing many of President Obama's initiatives. He is also a member of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over tax issues.
Although the Whip position is often a stepping stone to the top job, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has indicated he plans to stay in the position for a while and recently said he plans to run for re-election in 2014.
Kyl wasn't expected to have a difficult re-election race.
He is the fifth senator to announce that they won't seek re-election next year.
