Doolittle's exit opens up contest

Rep. John Doolittle's decision to retire after his ninth term in Congress ignited a growing contest Thursday for a staunchly Republican seat seen as vulnerable due to an FBI investigation into Doolittle's ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

After branding would-be election opponents as "weasels" and repeatedly declaring he would run again despite the corruption probe, Doolittle on Thursday declared that he was "at peace" and free of bitterness in announcing he will retire from Congress at the end of his current term.

His departure from the House seat he held for 17 years signals the end of a three-decade political career. His exit could also leave a political void in the greater Sacramento region – where Doolittle, 57, earned renown for using his clout to secure millions of dollars for public works projects to accommodate rapid growth in his district.

Immediately, longtime Doolittle supporter and former state Sen. Rico Oller said Thursday he would run for Doolittle's seat. A political consultant who has worked with former Sacramento-area Republican Rep. Doug Ose said Ose was also seriously considering running.

Previously, two other Republicans – Air Force reservist and security consultant Eric Egland and former Auburn Mayor Mike Holmes – said they would run, and state Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, formed an exploratory committee.

Doolittle narrowly defeated Democrat Charlie Brown, who is now running again, in 2006.

On Thursday, Doolittle announced his decision "to complete my term and ... retire" by quoting from the New Testament.

Saying he made his decision after "much prayer and deliberation," Doolittle said: "This circumstance reminds me of a passage in the 2nd letter of St. Paul to Timothy – 'The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.'"

Doolittle met with supporters who gathered for a closed meeting Thursday at the Maidu Community Center in Roseville. He later announced his decision to reporters, describing a recent epiphany he had in a conversation with his wife, Julie.

"I said to her, 'You know I don't mind risking losing an election ... but I really don't like the idea of winning the election and being obligated to serve for two more years," Doolittle said. He added: "Once that came out of my mouth, it was a revelation. I knew the decision was made not to run again."

First elected in 1980 to the California Senate, where he quickly established himself as a feisty conservative who thrived on rough-and-tumble politics, Doolittle was elected to a congressional seat vacated by retiring Rep. Norm Shumway.

Doolittle gained a reputation as a reformer, helping blow the whistle on the House bank scandal that contributed heavily to the Republicans' sweeping takeover of the House in the 1994 elections.

He aligned himself with Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, who later became House Republican leader and rewarded Doolittle with a prized seat on the House Appropriations Committee in 2001.

That brought him into the Republican inner circle where lobbyist Abramoff was a star. His friendship with Abramoff, who employed Doolittle's wife, Julie, created a cloud of scandal after Abramoff's guilty plea to conspiracy, bribery and tax charges.

Doolittle received more than $140,000 in campaign contributions from Abramoff, his associates and clients. In addition, Abramoff paid about $67,000 between September 2002 and February 2004 to to Julie Doolittle's company, Sierra Dominion Financial Services, that he hired to organize a charity fundraiser. Some $40,000 was paid to Julie Doolittle after the event was canceled.

Last year, the FBI raided Doolittle's Virginia home and issued subpoenas to Doolittle and five staff members in a probe of the congressman and his wife's fundraising business. Doolittle asserted his innocence, and complained vigorously as the investigation dragged on.

His attorney, David Barger, said in an interview Thursday that "there have been no new developments in this investigation that prompted his retirement."

About the writer:

• Call Peter Hecht, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5539.