Rep. Etheridge won't run for Senate

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., announced Friday he will not challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had been courting Etheridge, The Washington Post reported. He is the second potential recruit to reject a run for the Senate after North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper turned the committee down.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has announced she is seeking the Democratic nomination.

After a decade in Congress, Burr was elected in 2004 to the Senate seat that had been held by Democrat John Edwards. His job-approval ratings have been low in recent polls, suggesting he is vulnerable in his bid for a second term.

While the reluctance of Etheridge and others to enter the race suggests Burr might be stronger than his numbers suggest, Democrats point out that Sen. Kay Hagan was not the party's top choice as a candidate in 2008. She defeated Elizabeth Dole.