Report: Sen. Joe Lieberman Will Step Down in 2012

Senator Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is facing an uphill battle in his home state for reelection in 2012 and, according to Politico, will likely not seek reelection when his fourth term comes to a close.

Politico reports that the former Democratic vice presidential candidate will make a statement Wednesday to announce his retirement from the Senate after political pundits have speculated his future for months.

“After many thoughtful conversations with family and friends over the last several months, Sen. Lieberman made a decision about his future over the holidays which he plans to announce on Wednesday,” a Lieberman spokeswoman told Politico. The Senator will speak Wednesday afternoon at the Marriott Hotel in Stamford, Conn.

On Tuesday, former Connecticut secretary of state Susan Bysiewicz announced her intentions to run for Lieberman's Senate seat in 2012. A Lieberman aide insisted, however, that the Senator's decision to step down had already been made and the Wednesday announcement has been in the works for several weeks.

After winning his fourth term in office during the 2006 election as an Independent, Lieberman's popularity among Democrats continued to decay as he supported the Iraq war, opposed the public option in health care reform and endorsed Republican John McCain for president in 2008.

Lieberman's announcement comes on the heals of other notable 2012 retirement news in the Senate, including recent announcements from Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.