“I have been given one of the highest honors to serve in the House of Representatives and I will continue to serve the citizens in that capacity,” West said. “I will not seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2012. With regard to my future, the only goal I have is to do my very best to represent the constituents of the Congressional District and to restore the exceptionalism of our nation.”

West had said last week that the door “was cracked very slightly” to a race. said that in the last few weeks Republican elected officials had tried to convince him to run for the Senate. In Monday’s statement, West said that he had listened to them “out of respect” but that he had decided against a run.