Cheboygan County drain commissioner Dennis Lennox, who was running for Congress in the district of Bart Stupak, is withdrawing from the race today and endorsing Dan Benishek, a general surgeon whose campaign debuted as a Free Republic post in February.

“I’ve received phone calls and e-mails from party leaders and activists and a member of Congress, all encouraging to me to run, and agreeing that the district needs new representation who won’t sell out for 30 pieces of silver,” Lennox said in a phone interview this afternoon. “But I’m also a realist. This is a congressman who’s been in office since I’ve been in the third grade. This would probably be a campaign where both candidates combined could spent $8 million, and this is a district where the official unemployment rate is 20 percent; once you throw in the part-time workers and discouraged workers, it’s closer to 50 percent. The money just isn’t there in the district to support a bid. I knew what it would take, and like I said, I’m a realist. I’m not going to get into something if I don’t think I can pull it off.”

“Based on the enthusiasm that’s been out there for the past week, Benishek is in a well-heeled position to take on Stupak,” Lennox said. “I lend him my full support look and forward to working with him to defeat Stupak.”

Today, Lennox is taking one for the team, and Michigan Republicans probably ought to remember this decision. He indicated he’s switching to a state house race.