I wanted to announce today my intentions to not seek the Presidency of the Senate when the Republicans take control after the November 7th elections.

How’s that for an announcement?

In the unlikely scenario that the Republicans do not take control of the Senate and we continue to be in the minority, I also don’t plan to seek the Minority Leader position.

Look, I could give you a bunch of platitudes and nonsense as to why I’m not seeking it, but for the most part it boils down to a few reasons, well, actually TWO reasons.

First, you have to have the votes to win the position!

As I look at the landscape, a number of current and challenging Republican Senate candidates would have to win. With the current makeup of the Senate Republican caucus without those wins, I do not think I could garner the votes necessary to win the position should I be challenged.

Like I told Hoppy before in practically telling him I wasn’t going to run in not so many words over a month ago, my basic point to him is the numbers are the numbers.

There is a fairly significant divide within the caucus that has been a point of frustration to me over the last two years. This divide consists of the approach in dealing with the Democrats. Should we be nicey-nice and buddy-buddy with the Dems and Joe to get more done, or should we be even more hard-hitting in our approach to try to wrest control of the Senate away from the Democrats and set sail with the Republican agenda?

Normally, on these debates, I would lose in favor of “working with” the Democrats more and there is at least a significant minority within the caucus who favors this approach. Without a new influx of members and the reelection of other firebrands, then that minority will be the majority and leave “our” side in the minority.

I am proud to say my Sprouse PAC has raised around $24,000 (with more coming in daily) to help our Senate candidates this time. I raised this money because I believe in our cause, not because I want to “control” all the money flow within the party (as one Senator suggested). With this financial help from my supporters, I think it shows that I have not lost the support of my supporters and contributors outside the caucus. This type of a PAC has never been done before and I think my supporters and I showed it could and should be done.

Reason number two and the most important cause of me not running is this simple thought, if I have to question whether or not I want to run, then I shouldn’t run, no matter how the election turns out. And, simply, that’s the biggest reason of all.

And, I won’t leave out the personal side affecting the political.

Hoppy Kercheval asked me this question and this was my point to him. As much as Phil Kabler likes to quote the one or two Republican Senators who say it is “difficult” for me to be the leader because of my divorces, I believe what it did was give my opponents fodder to rake me over the coals and to push for a new leader.

I think the one person it had the most affect on was Andy McKenzie. My actions put him in the most difficult position of serving in the district of my ex’s family and trying to defend me. Certainly, that’s not an easy situation to be in and I can understand his desire not to have to face that wrath come next election. I also understand, politics is politics. I don’t take any of this stuff personally and I appreciate the support most of the Senators have offered.

So, my plan is to go back to being simply Kanawha County’s senior senator and an advocate (and flamethrowing firebrand, at that) for the causes I believe in, without the shackles of having to run my statements by the entire caucus for approval.

So, as much as my statement will cause a few orgiastic expulsions of venom from the Vic-haters out there, I’m not going anywhere. And, I plan to be even more hard-hitting and in your face than I’ve ever been.

This blog and the unbelievable response to it (I wouldn’t have imagined we would be getting this kind of traffic, comments and emails from it), has really helped reinvigorate me for the fight that lies ahead. Thank you.