Obey Won’t Run for Re-election

House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) will announce as early as today that he will not be running for re-election.

Obey faced the prospect of a tough battle in his home district against Republican Sean Duffy, a former star of “The Real World: Boston” and current district attorney for Ashland County. Duffy had Sarah Palin’s backing and was the best-funded challenger for Obey’s seat in more than a decade, having raised almost $300,000 during 2009.

Obey has held his seat since 1969 — as The New York Times noted last month, that’s two years before Duffy was born.

UPDATE: Per Politico, Obey will announce his retirement in a press conference at 1 p.m.