Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) "has announced that he will not seek re-election to a third term in 2010," the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.
"His decision ends months of speculation that he would drop out of the Senate race because of his inability to raise money, poor poll numbers and lack of support from top Republican officials."
Earlier, the Courier-Journal noted that more than 100 people who gave to Bunning in his first two
Senate races "appear to have switched allegiances and are now backing
Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) instead."