After Michele Bachmann announced earlier this week she would not seek reelection in 2014, her 2012 Democratic challenger has also dropped out, at least for the time being.
MinnPost reports that Jim Graves, who lost by just 1.2 percentage poitns last year, has “indefinitely” suspended his campaign for Minnesota’s sixth district.
“Basically, after all that’s gone on, and with Michele Bachmann now stepping down, I’ve been talking to my friends and family and frankly, the feeling is, ‘Mission Accomplished,’” Graves said.
When asked about Bachmann’s decision earlier in the week, Graves had a different tone. He explained that he was “running for the people, not against Michele Bachmann,” so “nothing really changes at all for our messaging.”
My two cents: In a Republican-leaning district, Graves probably realized his chances of winning the seat were significantly diminished without Bachmann in the race.