By DEANNA BELLANDI, Associated Press Writer
November 26, 2007
CHICAGO - Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who made a
farewell speech to House colleagues 11 day earlier, made his
resignation official Monday with a letter to Illinois Gov.
Rod Blagojevich.
Hastert's formal resignation, which was to take effect at
11:59 p.m. EST Monday, came the same day that Mississippi GOP
Sen. Trent Lott announced he would retire by year's end after
35 years in Congress.
Hastert had announced in August he wouldn't seek another term
and earlier this month confirmed he wouldn't finish his 11th
term, but he hadn't said when he would resign his seat.
In his letter, Hastert said he chose Monday because he was
advised it would give Blagojevich sufficient time to set a
special primary election for Feb. 5 so voters can pick candidates
to run for the remainder of his term, which ends in January
2009.
Hastert said Feb. 5 makes sense because that's the day Illinoisans
will go to the polls in regular primary elections to cast votes
for president and other offices.
"This will minimize inconvenience to the voters and expense
to the counties in the 14th Congressional District," Hastert
said in his three-paragraph letter.
If Blagojevich calls the special primary for that day, voters
in Hastert's northern Illinois district not only will choose
candidates to run for his unexpired term, but also cast ballots
in a regular primary election to whittle down the candidates
who will run to be Hastert's full-time replacement.
Four Republicans and four Democrats filed paperwork to get
on the ballot for the chance to replace Hastert, and those
already in the race have said they want the chance to finish
his term.
Blagojevich has five days to set the election and had not
done so as of Monday evening, said his spokeswoman, Abby Ottenhoff.
Hastert also sent a letter Monday to Democratic House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi telling her he had tendered his resignation to
Blagojevich.
In his letter to Pelosi, Hastert called it a "high honor" to
have served in Congress and he wished her and his former colleagues "God's
blessing" as they continued to serve.
Hastert's resignation caps a 21-year career in Congress that
saw the former wrestling coach serve as House speaker longer
than any other Republican.
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