Rep. Vern Tincher, who is electorally challenged in off-year elections, announced this morning that he will not seek reelection.  This is big news for House Republicans, who have a well known candidate in Bob Heaton.  House District 46 is the number one target for Republicans.

Tincher was first elected in 1982 and served until 1994, when he lost.  He was reelected in 1996, and lost in 2002, before he was reelected in 2004.  Basically, he was put back in office by transient ISU students who come out and vote Democratic in presidential election years.  A candidacy this year would have been an exercise in history repeating itself.