ed.
Ensign was first elected to the Senate in 2000.
STATEMENT from Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
March 7, 2011
Las Vegas, NV
– Senator John Ensign today announced his retirement from the United
States Senate at the end of his term in 2012. His remarks from
today’s
press conference are below.
As
many of you know, the last couple of years have been very difficult for
my family, staff, friends and so many of my supporters. I cannot
express how sorry I am for the pain that I have caused everyone.
As
I have learned through my mistake, there are consequences to sin.
When
a person is in a leadership role, those consequences can affect a lot
of people in a very negative way.
I
know that God has forgiven me, and so has my wife. Darlene and I are
doing better than ever and have gotten through this with a stronger
marriage for which I am incredibly thankful. I can only hope that
someday all those whom I have hurt or disappointed will find it in
their hearts to forgive me, as well.
I have learned how important mercy and love are, and I hope to be able
to share these with the people in my life who need it.
I
have worked very hard to earn back the trust of the people in this
state. As I have traveled across Nevada during this time, I have
encountered many challenges, but also many offers of financial support
and for volunteers on my reelection campaign; I cannot tell you how
very appreciative I am to those who have stood by me during some of my
darkest hours.
In
particular, I want to thank my loyal staff who have not only stood with
me during this time, but also handled themselves with grace and dignity
under very trying circumstances. I consider them part of my
extended
family and will never be able to repay them for what they have done for
me.
Having
said all that, I have come to the most difficult decision of my
life.
It has been difficult because I have never loved a job as much or been
as honored to serve in any position than that of your senator.
I have tried my best to work hard and to vote consistently with the
values of our state.
I
do not want to put my family, those that I care about, or this state
through what would be a very ugly campaign that would ultimately cause
a great deal more pain than has already been felt as a result of my
actions. For these reasons, I will not seek reelection in 2012.
I
have made this decision so that I can focus harder than ever before on
making this country and this state better than they are today, rather
than dealing with the distractions stemming from a reelection bid.
These
next two years will be the fight of my life, not for my political
career, but for the future of our country. My fight will be
dedicated
to those who believed in me all those years ago and to all Nevadans who
have elected me and trusted me to serve on their behalf. I will
serve
you wholeheartedly for the rest of my term.
This
is not the end; but rather the beginning of an incredible journey.
There are tremendous challenges that we face as a nation, but there is
also great opportunity to ensure that the decisions being made back in
Washington, D.C., do not lead to the end of the road for the United
States. I am energized, but more importantly, I am committed to
making
sure that I meet with folks who will take the time to share their
concerns with me, to share their struggle, and to join with me in
creating solutions that we can achieve together.
I
have until the end of 2012 to fiercely fight for the people of Nevada
and against the downward spiral of our country, and fight is what I
plan to do for all of you. It will continue to be the greatest honor to
serve you.