Sen. Kit Bond to retire from public office

U.S. Sen. Kit Bond will end a 40-year run of elected service to Missouri, he announced today.

Bond won't seek a fifth term in the 2010 election, he told the Missouri General Assembly.

"Public service has been a blessing and a labor of love for me - little in life could be more fulfilling," he said. "There are many ways to serve; elective office is only one of them."

Bond said he won't completely retire - he'll only exit elected office and then "move in a new direction," he said in his speech.

Bond was first elected to Missouri public office in 1970 as state auditor. He then spent two terms as governor, followed by four terms as a U.S. Senator.

In his announcement before the General Assembly, Bond said his proudest bipartisan achievements include taking the Parents as Teachers program statewide, making biotechnology a major growth industry for Missouri and expanding Community Health Centers to bring health care to underserved areas, according to a news release.

Bond has been a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the subcommittee that distributes U.S. housing and transportation funding. He also serves as vice chairman on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee.

"Sen. Bond's achievements over the last 40 years have brought growth and prosperity to our state, and his leadership has made our country stronger and our families safe," Gov. Matt Blunt said in a statement. "His four decades of service have left a positive and lasting mark on Missouri."

Bond will meet with community leaders across the state Friday to thank them for their work during his tenure. His stop in Springfield will be at 12:15 p.m. at the Discovery Center, 438 St. Louis St.[[In-content Ad]]