'After serious consideration, I am confident this is the right decision,' Bachmann says. Michele Bachmann not running again

Rep. Michele Bachmann — the tea-party firebrand and former presidential candidate, facing investigations and a daunting reelection race — announced in a video on her website Wednesday morning that she will not seek reelection to a fifth term.

Bachmann, 57, who took office in 2007, says on the video: “My good friends: After a great deal of thought and deliberation, I have decided next year I will not seek a fifth congressional term to represent the wonderful people of the Sixth District of Minnesota. After serious consideration, I am confident that this is the right decision.”


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POLITICO reported over the weekend that the Minnesota Republican faced “existential” political threats. The Federal Election Commission and the Office of Congressional Ethics are investigating the finances of last year’s Republican primary bid. And she was being challenged again by Jim Graves, a Democrat who came within 5,000 votes, or 1.2 percentage points, of unseating her last November.

Bachmann added on the 8½-minute video: “[T]he law limits anyone from serving as president of the United States for more than eight years. And in my opinion, well, eight years is also long enough for any individual to serve as a representative for a specific congressional district.

“Be assured: My decision was not in any way influenced by any concerns about my being reelected to Congress. … I have every confidence that if I ran, I would again defeat the individual who I defeated last year, who recently announced he is once again running.

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“And rest assured, this decision was not impacted in any way by the recent inquiries into the activities of my former presidential campaign or my former presidential staff. It was clearly understood that compliance with all rules and regulations was an absolute necessity for my presidential campaign. And I have no reason to believe that that was not the case. …

”I fully anticipate the mainstream, liberal media to put a detrimental spin on my decision. … But I take being the focus of their attention of their disparagement as a true compliment of my public-service effectiveness. … To m my detractors, my work continues for YOUR best interest as well. … God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”