Politics

Republican Wyoming Sen Mike Enzi Opts Out Of Re-Election Run

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Evie Fordham Politics and Health Care Reporter
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Republican Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi will not seek re-election in 2020, he announced Saturday.

“I have much to get done in the next year and a half,” Enzi said according to the Casper Star-Tribune. “I want to focus on budget reform. I don’t want to be burdened by the distractions of another campaign. After this year, I’ll find other ways to serve.”

Enzi, 75, made the announcement at Gillette City Hall in the Wyoming city where he began his political career more than 40 years ago as mayor. (RELATED: Colorado’s Michael Bennet Announces 2020 Bid)

Enzi is chair of the Senate Budget Committee and has been in office for 22 years. He has passed more than 100 bills since taking office in 1997, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

Chairman of the US Senate Committee on the Budget, Mike Enzi, right, and Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, speak to each other during a hearing on transparency at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on September 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images)

Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget Mike Enzi, right, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, speak to each other during a hearing on transparency at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Sept. 13, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images)

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Liz Cheney attends a news conference following a GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center February 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney attends a news conference following a GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center Feb. 13, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Republican Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney is expected to be a main contender to replace Enzi, reported Politico. She challenged Enzi in the primaries in 2014.

Another Republican, David Dodson, is being floated as a possible candidate. He tried to take on Wyoming’s junior senator, Republican John Barrasso, in 2018, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

Other senators stepping down in 2020 include Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander and Democratic New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall.

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