Democratic Senator Lautenberg, 89, won't seek re-election

(Reuters) - Senator Frank Lautenberg, the New Jersey Democrat who at 89 is the U.S. Senate's oldest member, said on Thursday he will not seek re-election to a sixth term next year.

His decision opens a clearer path to the seat for Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for Senate in 2014. Booker said he would seek the seat before Lautenberg announced his intentions.

Lautenberg, a self-made multimillionaire businessman who became a leading liberal voice in the Senate, offered no reason for his decision to retire from Congress, but vowed to keep working for constituents until his Senate term ends in January 2015.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/us-usa-congress-lautenberg-idUSBRE91D1G120130214