Opinion: Was that a sigh from down South?

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One less worry today for congressional Republicans, who are a worried lot these days.

They must defend 22 of the 34 U.S. Senate seats up for election next year. So far, five Senate Republicans have announced their retirement, long-timers like John Warner of Virginia and what’s-his-name from the bathroom stall in Minneapolis. No Democrats have announced retirement.

Today, Mississippi’s 69-year-old Thad Cochran, a Republican who’s been in Congress since his House election in 1972 and in the Senate since 1979, announced he would seek a sixth term next year.

Since he won election the last time with 85% of the vote, this would seem to remain a safe seat for the GOP. Completing a sixth term would tie Cochran with the Senate longevity of his predecessor, James Eastland.

-- Andrew Malcolm