Mikel Grenzner.com

Hagel Will Not Run for Re-Election: “The Omaha World Herald reports Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is calling it quits. Hagel plans to announce on Monday that ‘he will not run for re-election and that he does not intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008,’ said one source.

Hagel informed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) of his decision yesterday morning and informed his staff later in the day.

(Via Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire.)

Folks, this is rather huge. The senate will be losing Craig at the end of the month, and Warner has already announced his retirement in 2008. Craig will undoubtably be replaced by another Republican, but Warner could easily be replaced by a Democrat. Less likely is another Democrat taking a spot in Nebraska, but the new chair of the Democratic party is a big fan of the so called, “50 State Strategy”.

The other thing this means is perhaps a turn on policy matters. Warner has already come out against the war, and Hagel is a rather moderate Republican. It will be interesting to see how they both spend the remainder of their senatorial career.