Carper says he’s retiring and relinquishing his place in solid Democratic Delaware

Senator Thomas R. Carper, a veteran Democrat from Delaware, announced Monday that he would not be seeking re-election next year, freeing up a seat in a deep blue state that he said he hoped would go to his hand-picked successor.

Mr. Carper, 76, is in his fourth term in the Senate and is the last surviving Vietnam veteran to serve there. He has held public office since the 1970s, first as treasurer of Delaware, then as a member of Congress for ten years, then as governor, and since 2001 as a senator.

“This just seems like a good time to turn the page and move on,” Mr. Carper said at a news conference in Wilmington, Del. He added: “I still have miles to go and every day I go counts.”

The senator said he planned to do everything he could to help Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, the Democrat who is the state’s only member of the House and was his former intern, win the race to succeed him .

As chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Mr. Carper said he planned to spend his final months in Congress overseeing clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and key projects included in the dual infrastructure legislation.

“I will continue to work 60-hour weeks,” he said.

Mr Carper said he also intended to help his friend, President Biden, succeed and win re-election, brushing aside questions about the president’s age.

“Every meeting I’ve been a part of, he’s actually sharper than the rest of us,” Mr. Carper said.

He said he called Mrs. Blunt Rochester on Monday morning and told her, “You waited patiently for me to get out of the way, and I’m getting out of the way.”

He added that he had also told her, “I hope you flee, and I hope you let me support you in that mission.”

And Mr. Carper said Mrs. Blunt Rochester replied, “Yes, I’ll let you back me up.”

Ms Blunt Rochester, also in her fourth term, has not yet announced a campaign but has publicly expressed interest in running. In a statement, she praised Mr Carper as a legislator who was “more interested in attending a local Sunday service than doing the Sunday shows, more interested in hearing from his constituents in person than getting clicks online and more interested was in the events of the day in Delaware than DC”

Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat and Majority Leader, called Mr. Carper a “conscientious, hard-working, honorable and effective Senator who has done so much for his beloved Delaware and America, particularly by protecting our precious environment and strengthening our transportation systems.” .”

Mr Schumer praised Mr Carper for leading important legislation such as postal reform and reducing the effects of methane in the atmosphere.

Senator Chris Coons, also a Democrat from Delaware, said Mr. Carper relied on his background as a former governor during his time in the Senate.

“Tom Carper also mentored a generation of leaders in Delaware,” said Mr. Coons. “From my first race for County Council President, he has encouraged and supported my career in service, acting as a source of advice and encouragement when I needed it most, and as a role model for balancing family and service. “