Miller says he will not seek a sixth term in Congress

Price

By: JournalNow Staff | The Associated Press
Published: January 27, 2012

RALEIGH --

To avoid a damaging battle with a fellow Democratic incumbent, U.S. Rep. Brad Miller said Thursday he won't seek a sixth term in Congress representing his north-central North Carolina district.

Miller's decision immediately benefits U.S. Rep. David Price, who would otherwise have faced a primary against Miller because of new voting maps drawn up last year by the Republican-controlled General Assembly. The new maps moved Miller from the 13th District and put both men in the newly redrawn 4th District.

"I thought all along, and I told David within a week of the election, that the Republican legislature would put us in the same district," Miller said in a conference call with reporters.

Miller had believed Price, who has said he wants to serve one more term, would retire early if the prospect of a primary between the two became reality. But Price, who was first elected to Congress in 1986, said months ago he planned to run again in 2012.

"He seems more determined about this campaign than I have seen him be about a campaign since I've been in Congress," Miller said.

In a statement released by his campaign Thursday, Price said serving alongside Miller has been a privilege, and he laid the blame for the decision at the feet of the state legislature.

"His decision today will avoid a divisive primary in the 4th District if the unfair and illegal maps drawn by General Assembly Republicans are allowed to govern this election," said Price, who is supporting legal challenges to the redrawn district maps.

Miller, who as a Democrat in the state Senate once helped draft legislative maps that favored his party, said he may sound like a "reformed sinner" by now backing the idea of leaving redistricting in the hands of an independent commission, but that nonetheless he believes that's a better option than the current nakedly partisan process.

Miller said he doesn't have any immediate plans for what comes after he serves out this term, saying he's given no thought to whether to run for governor and doubts that he'd want to run for the newly constituted 4th District seat in 2014.