Rep. Schroeder to Step Down After 12 Terms in Congress : Politics: Colorado Democrat’s retirement catches observers by surprise. In Massachusetts, Gov. Weld enters race for Senate seat held by Kerry.

In a move that surprised the political world and saddened her supporters, especially feminist leaders, veteran Democratic Rep. Patricia Schroeder of Colorado announced Wednesday that she would not seek reelection next year.

Schroeder, whose 23 years in office made her the dean of the 55 women serving in the House or Senate, represents a heavily Democratic district that includes all of Denver.

Her party will be favored to retain the seat but her departure will cost Democrats one of their leading liberal voices, one famed for coining such phrases as the description of Ronald Reagan as the “Teflon President.”

And Democrats on Wednesday received yet another jolt when popular Republican Gov. William F. Weld of Massachusetts declared that he would challenge Democratic Sen. John Kerry’s bid for a third term.

Weld’s decision transforms what had been seen as a safe Democratic seat into a potential tossup. And the anticipated matchup between two politicians who can each draw on solid bases of support in Massachusetts almost assuredly would be one of the most expensive and contentious races of 1996.

Schroeder, 55, had given no indication that she was thinking of retiring from politics before her news conference in Washington. In her announcement, she said: “I suddenly woke up and said: ‘My whole adult life, I’ve been here.’ ”

She gave no clue as to what her next professional step might be, saying only that her “adult life-meter” was ticking loudly, and that it was time to move on and “tackle new challenges.”

Her decision stunned admirers who depended on her as a champion of their positions on issues pertaining to women, families, minorities and the poor.

Nicole Pearlman, vice president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women, said she heard the news while driving on the Santa Monica Freeway. “I screamed at my radio: ‘No! Not another blow!’ ” she said.

Kate Michelman, president of the Washington-based National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, said Schroeder’s announcement made it “a sad day for women, pro-choice Americans and all those who value personal and religious liberties.”

Michelman praised Schroeder as “eloquent, passionate and relentless in articulating the belief that government must not decide which women can have abortions and which women cannot.”

Not surprisingly, markedly different reactions came from the other side of the political equation.

Paul Hetrick, an official at the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family organization, said: “There are millions of pro-family voters, and hundreds of thousands in the state of Colorado, who applaud her decision. She has an almost unblemished record of standing for the most anti-family legislation that can be imagined.”

Schroeder becomes the 14th House Democrat to give up a seat next year, although several are doing so to run for the Senate. In contrast, just four House Republicans have announced plans to retire.

Among political observers, Schroeder’s decision was viewed as further evidence of the dramatic change on Capitol Hill since Republicans seized control of both houses of Congress in last year’s elections.

Analyst Stu Rothenberg said Schroeder’s impending departure vividly demonstrates the erosion of longtime liberal influences in the House. “The redwoods do seem to be falling,” he said.

Patricia Limerick, a history professor at the University of Colorado, said Schroeder’s decision was understandable, especially considering the congresswoman’s antipathy toward the conservative agenda of House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

“One can’t expect a liberal to stay in Congress and suffer,” Limerick said.

In Massachusetts, Weld’s decision to run for the Senate not only ended months of speculation about his plans but immediately stoked interest in a campaign that had promised to attract little national attention.

The 50-year-old Weld, who earlier this year had been a major supporter of California Gov. Pete Wilson’s failed presidential campaign, is widely viewed as a comer on the national scene.

Both Weld and Kerry, 51, are known for their strong personalities and are well-liked figures in a commonwealth that regards politics as its unofficial state sport. Weld has a quick, acerbic wit; Kerry has traditionally made himself so available for media comment that his nickname among some is “Liveshot.”

Several Massachusetts political analysts immediately dubbed a Weld-Kerry race as a “battle of the titans.” Nick Mitropoulos of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, said both candidates have “the proverbial fire in the belly.” He predicted a “tough fight.”

Both candidates are Ivy League graduates, with Weld attending Harvard and Harvard Law School, and Kerry graduating from Yale University before attending law school at Boston College.

Each man is affluent in his own right, and each heads families marked by inherited wealth. Weld is a descendant of early Massachusetts settlers who made their money as financiers. Kerry is a member of the prosperous Forbes clan.

Weld’s wife, Susan Roosevelt Weld, is a professor of Chinese legal history and a direct descendant of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Kerry was married this year to Teresa Heinz, widow of Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.). Her own fortune is estimated at $800 million.

Some Massachusetts political observers predicted that the financial dimensions of the 1996 Massachusetts race could rival the more than $44 million spent in California’s 1994 Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Dianne Feinstein and Republican Michael Huffington.

Weld on Wednesday called for a voluntary spending cap of $5 million per candidate, but Kerry’s campaign finance chief, Bill Geary, said he doubted that the senator would accept that proposal.

“John has never evidenced any inability to raise money, large sums of it,” Geary said, noting that Kerry’s campaign account already contains more than $2.5 million. “He is doggedly determined to be reelected, and he will spend whatever it takes.”

Now in his second term as governor, Weld prides himself on having changed “the political culture in Massachusetts, for the better.” In a state once known as “Taxachusetts,” he has spearheaded 11 tax cuts and strenuously pushed for a balanced state budget.

Kerry has long championed the values of liberal Democrats. In the midst of Republican-led budget slashing, he has fought against Medicare cuts and sought to protect tax credits for working families.

Mehren reported from Boston, Sahagun from Denver. Staff writer Bob Sipchen contributed to this story.