Dole May Quit if He Sees GOP Senate Losses

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole said Friday that the potential for Republican Senate losses in the 1992 elections will play a role in whether he seeks another term next year.

The Kansas Republican said he has no timetable for announcing whether he will run for reelection but hinted that he might retire if he thought Republicans would suffer substantial losses in 1992.

“If we’re going to be down in the 30s next year, 30-some Republicans, this would be a pretty lonely place to hang around,” Dole said.

Currently, Democrats hold a 57-43 majority in the Senate. There are 20 Democratic seats and 14 GOP Senate seats at stake in the 1992 elections.

To get an early indication of the GOP outlook, Dole said, he is closely watching next week’s Senate election in Pennsylvania. Republican Dick Thornburgh is running against Democratic Sen. Harris Wofford.

Dole did not speculate on GOP chances for 1992 but said he would analyze the upcoming races before making his decision.

“I want to make certain that, if it’s going to be a minority, we’re going to be a viable minority and have some influence on policy,” Dole said of Republican senators.