Senator Lieberman will retire in 2012

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut lawmaker whose successful re-election run as an independent in 2006 resurrected him after defeat in the state’s Democratic primary, announced Wednesday he will not seek a fifth term.

The veteran lawmaker made the announcement in Stamford, Conn., surrounded by his wife, children and other family members.

"At the end of this term, I will have served 24 years in the U.S. Senate and 40 years in elective office," Lieberman said. "For me, it is time for another season and another purpose under Heaven," he added, making a Biblical reference to Ecclesiastes.

Lieberman said he intends to put his full energy into the remainder of his current term in the Senate and plans to stay engaged in public life after he leaves his seat. "I will keep doing everything in my power to build strong bridges across party lines," he said.

Lieberman, 68, was defeated the last time he ran for the Democratic Senate nomination in Connecticut, in 2006, but won a new term running as an independent in a three-way race.

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