Nevada's Ensign to Retire from Senate

U.S. Senator John Ensign, a Republican from Nevada, will retire from Congress at the end of his term in 2012. The two-term senator received a 10 (out of a possible 100) from the Human Rights Campaign during the 111th Congress.

Ensign, who supported repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" in December, is currently the subject of a Senate Ethics Committee investigation related to an affair he had with Cynthia Hampton, a former campaign staffer and the wife of his best friend and co-chief of staff.

Possible GOP contenders for Ensign's seat include antigay Sharron Angle, who unsuccessfully challenged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last year. The Hill recently reported that Angle addressed the possibility of challenging Ensign in the primaries: "I've got many options and I'm not ruling anything out."