This time, it’s Mass. Congressman William Delahunt. The seven-term Democrat who represents Boston’s South Shore and the Cape announced yesterday he won’t run for reelection.
Delahunt spoke of Ted Kennedy’s death in the context of his decision. “Clearly, since his death, there’s something missing. There’s a void. With the void, you feel the need to be here because there’s much to do,” Delahunt said in an interview with the Boston Globe’s Susan Milligan. But he concluded that the demands of Washington were taking a toll on his personal life.
Milligan notes that Delahunt is the third lawmaker with close ties to Kennedy to announce that he is stpping down. Kennedy’s son, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, is not running for reelection. And neither is Chris Dodd, who invoked the death of his close friend when he announced his decision to retire back in January.