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Two more Senators have confirmed that they will not run for reelection in 2012. Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia and Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, have both said they are done.
Webb represented the Democrat’s best chance to hold on to a seat in the Old Dominion, which has been trending toward purple but still remains a mostly Republican state. Without a deep bench in Virginia, this will put a lot of pressure on former Governor Tim Kaine, currently the head of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine has repeatedly held out hope that Webb would run again, and has said he already had the job he wants, but hasn’t shut the door on a Senate run yet. On the Republican side, former Senator George Allen has already said he intends to run for his old seat. A Kaine – Allen match-up would be one of the highest profile campaigns of 2012.
Arizona is part of the new mountain west – a group of states that have traditionally voted Republican but due to changing demographics and changing politics have been trending purple. As an incumbent, Kyl would almost certainly keep his seat, but as an open seat this may be the Democrats best chance to elect an Arizona Senator since the 1988. Nobody has stepped up to say they’ll contest the seat yet; prior to her shooting last month, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was considered a possible candidate
