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DeLay Leaving Congress in May

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said this week that he will end his re-election bid, and will also retire from Congressional service. MSNBC Talk Show Host Chris Matthews said, "He told me that although the polls showed him going down - losing - he thought he had a 50/50 chance of winning."

DeLay was forced to step down as House majority leader last year after being indicted in his home state of Texas. DeLay told Time magazine Monday that he and his wife, Christine, had been prepared for an election battle, but that he decided Wednesday to spare his suburban Houston district the mudfest to come.

According to Matthews and sources close to DeLay, "He said that it was very important for Republicans to hold this seat and that he believed that another Republican had a very good chance - in fact, could walk into this seat. And he`s going to allow that to happen tomorrow by withdrawing from the election."