Dennis Hastert, the former Republican Speaker of the House, will not be seeking another term in Congress.
Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who served as speaker of the House longer than any Republican in history, intends to retire next year at the end of his current term, party officials said Tuesday.
A formal announcement is planned for Friday.
Hastert's planned retirement is likely to set off a lively scramble between the two political parties for a House seat that he has held easily since 1986.
The 14th district of Illinois has a Cook partisan index score of R +5, definitely winnable and the same as Melissa Bean's district. John Laesch ran well there last year, and there will undoubtedly be a spirited race. Notch another potential pickup to go along with the 18th, where Ray LaHood announced his retirement recently.