Wisconsin US senator Herb Kohl(and strong abortion supporter) retires

Could Wisconsin have two mostly pro-life senators?

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) said Friday that he would not run for a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

Kohl, who is 76, made the announcement at a news conference in his Senate office in Milwaukee. His departure from politics is certain to set off a wild scramble among both Democrats and Republicans to run for the seat he has held since 1989.

Kohl said his health was good, and he had no intention of retiring from public life.

Kohl said he had deliberated on whether to run again or not for a few weeks. Asked if he would have won had he decided to seek re-election to a fifth term, Kohl said, 'Oh, sure."

Kohl described the current political landscape in Wisconsin as "toxic," but said it did not factor in his decision.

Kohl’s decision serves as a political blow to Democrats, adding one more seat to a growing number the party has to defend in 2012. Republicans have never come close to defeating Kohl since he was first elected in 1988, and given his political track record and his personal wealth, he would start as a heavy favorite to win re-election next year.

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