Sen. Domenici to retire next year, cites health

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, a long-serving New Mexico Republican, announced on Thursday he will not run for re-election next year, saying he has a degenerative brain disease.

Domenici, 75, said he will retire from the Senate when his current term expires in January 2009.

He said he had concluded that it would be wrong to seek re-election if he could not pledge that he could ably complete another six-year term.

"I am suffering from a disease known as Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, or FTLD. This disease is progressive and incurable," Domenici said in an announcement in Albuquerque, his hometown.

"The progress of this disease is apparently erratic and unpredictable. It may well be that seven years from now, it will be stable. On the other hand, it may also be that the disease will have incapacitated me," Domenici said.

Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration is a disease that progressively affects brain function. In some cases, it affects parts of the brain that are important for organization, decision making and control of mood and behavior.

First elected to the Senate in 1972, Domenici has served as chairman of the Budget Committee and the Energy Committee.

President George W. Bush in a statement said he has valued the senator's counsel and friendship and looked forward to working with him as he serves out the remainder of his term.

"Laura and I are grateful for Pete's service to our nation. As he nears retirement, we pray for his health and well-being," Bush said.