Omaha – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns is expected to resign today to clear the way for a Senate campaign in 2008, giving Republicans a welcome dose of good political news.
Johanns will be joined by President Bush to make an announcement about his future this morning, Johanns’ spokeswoman Terri Teuber said Wednesday, not commenting on what Johanns would say.
But state Republicans, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made, said Johanns intends to seek the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel.
Incumbent Republicans in New Hampshire, Maine, Oregon and Minnesota face difficult challenges, and GOP retirements in Virginia and Colorado give Democrats additional targets. Democrats also have been recruiting former Sen. Bob Kerrey to return home to Nebraska to run for Hagel’s seat.
In resigning, Johanns would leave his post before Congress passes a new farm bill, a goal the secretary has said he wanted to reach by the end of the year. The politically popular legislation gives billions in aid to farmers and pays for nutrition programs, but the current version expires at the end of this month.
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Charles Conner is expected to become acting agriculture secretary if Johanns resigns.
