Chris Dodd steps down
Published:Wednesday | January 6, 2010 | 6:22 PM
US Senator Chris Dodd, a key supporter of President Barack Obama, has announced that he will not seek re-election in November.
Senator Dodd, who chairs the Senate banking committee, made the announcement that he would not be seeking a sixth term at his home in East Haddam, Connecticut.
The 65-year-old Connecticut senator has been a key figure in efforts to deal with the financial crisis, and the healthcare debate.
However, Dodd, a former presidential hopeful, has been increasingly embattled since 2008, amid criticisms over a loan he received from a subprime lender.
Opinion polls have suggested that he would not win re-election in November.
The balance of power could change after November\'s elections, when a third of the 100 Senate seats will be contested.