PASCAGOULA, Miss., Jan. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., who said he had been considering retiring from politics, on Tuesday said he would seek a fourth term in the Senate.
Lott, 64, made the announcement in his hometown of Pascagoula, Miss., where Hurricane Katrina had damaged his beachfront home. He said a desire to help hurricane relief work its way through Congress was a key part of his decision to seek re-election.
It was thought, however, Lott sees a chance to return to his position as Senate majority leader, since current Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is not running for another term. Lott was the Republican leader in the Senate from 1996-2002, when comments he made at a Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., birthday celebration caused him to step down.
But it was rebuilding the battered Gulf Coast that was the focus of Lott's Tuesday announcement.
He said, "I want you to know that as long as Mississippi is hurting and needs help, I'll be there for this state if the people will allow me to continue to serve in the Senate. And I ask them to do that, and I hope they will."
