Full Article Here: http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/08/embatt led_gop_rep_renzi_to_ret.html

Basically this is one of the ethically challenged Republican Congressman who barely scathed by in 2006 and was a top target for 2008.  Well if things weren't looking easy enough...

Rick Renzi, a three-term Republican U.S. House member from Arizona, announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the 110th Congress and will not seek re-election in 2008.

Some interesting snippits that are worth reading...

Renzi's announcement ended months of speculation about his status, sparked by a pending federal investigation into his family's business practices. Though Renzi has denied wrongdoing, an FBI raid in April on a business owned by his wife cast a cloud over his political future and prompted him to surrender his committee assignments ahead of what would have been strong pressure from House Republican leaders to do so.

Questions about Renzi's 2008 intentions intensified when he reported weak fundraising for his House campaign committee. Renzi, according to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), raised only $184,000 in the first six months of this year, putting him in the bottom third of all candidates who have filed with the FEC to run for the House in 2008.

And...

Jennifer Crider, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), said in a statement that Renzi was "following the Republican Conference corruption playbook" used by former Reps. Bob Ney of Ohio and Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California during the run-up to the 2006 elections. Both of those Republicans first announced they were retiring from Congress, but later pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges and resigned their seats.

But Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), called Renzi a "hard worker and a dedicated legislator ... a tireless advocate for the people of rural Arizona." Cole added, "He has a determined spirit that will be missed by both the voters in his district and his colleagues here in the U.S. House."

So the real question is does having an open seat (AKA lack of name recognition opponent with no baggage) or having Renzi (AKA strong name recognition with a lot of baggage) help us more?  I'm beginning to think if Renzi isn't running the incumbent's race, it causes the Republican establishment to have a harder time reaching out to invest in the race.  

The district isn't strongly Republican by any means, the PVI rating is R+2.2 so if anything it's more of a slight lean.  To give you an idea, we won 7 seats in 2006 with more than a R+6 PVI rating.  

The Democratic field consists of State Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, former newswoman (I think) Mary Kim Titla and attorney Howard Shanker.  

This brings the total US House Republicans retiring to 6.  
Dennis Hastert (IL-14)
Ray Lahood (IL-18)
Chip Pickering (MS-03)
Deborah Pryce (OH-15)
Rick Renzi (AZ-01)
Duncan Hunter (CA-52)