Politics

Artur Davis not running for retiring Rep. Frank Wolf’s seat

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After some speculation and hints that he might seek Virginia’s 10th congressional seat as a Republican, Virginia transplant and former Alabama Democratic Rep. Artur Davis announced Monday that he will not run for the retiring Virginia Republican Rep. Frank Wolf’s seat.

“People in politics aren’t known for candor about their goals, but I will be direct here: a year ago, my plan was to run for Frank Wolf’s seat if he retired. But a year is a long time to reflect,” Davis dispatched in an emailed statement Monday.

According to the former Democrat, who recently switched parties and spoke at the Republican National Convention last year, when he first entered politics he hoped to use his position to unite people and be a positive influence on issues like poverty and education. Davis noted that joining the GOP “has not shaken those values.”

These days he, said, the climate is too divisive to achieve what he hoped to those 15 years ago, when he first got into the game.

“[C]ampaigns can’t be about wishful thinking. I know full well that the national political climate is too polarized and ideological to make Congress the forum to achieve the values that drew me into politics in the first place,” he said. “I also know that in the current environment, the process of competing for a partisan nomination wouldn’t exactly allow me to run a campaign focused on building common ground. ”

Thus, Davis announced, he will not be seeking the Virginia’s 10th District seat.

“Frankly, I would relish an opportunity to lead on the issues I care most about, whether as a public servant or as a citizen. That time and place, however, is not Virginia’s 10th District congressional race,” Davis concluded.

Wolf announced last week that after 34 years he would not be seeking re-election in 2014, leaving his Northern Virginia seat up for grabs.

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