Sen. Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) is announcing his retirement from the Senate at a press conference Monday afternoon.
Lott, the minority whip, made the decision over the Thanksgiving weekend with his family in Pascagoula, Miss.
Lott's move shocked Republicans on Capitol Hill as many Republican leaders have resigned or retired, something that shows that the GOP will remain in the minority for years.
Lott's political career had been rejuvenated because of remarks he made at a 100th birthday party for Strom Thurmond in December 2002, which led to his banishment from GOP leadership. After four years of resculpting his image, he was named the minority whip, the GOP's second highest-position in Senate.
Lott said that he is tired of the bickering amongst the party and the mindset of the Republicans has switched to just being anti-Democrats as opposed to furthering their own agenda.
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (R) will be allowed to appoint a successor to the seat, but a special election to fill the remainder of the term is likely to be scheduled for next November.
He was first elected to the House in 1972, where he served on the House Judiciary Committee that voted to impeach President Nixon. He rose to House Republican whip in the 1980s, then won a Senate seat in 1988. He became GOP whip in 1995, and won the race to succeed former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) when he stepped down as majority leader in June 1996 to pursue the presidency.
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