Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press - FILE - In this March 16, 2013 file photo, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R- Minn., speaks at the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md. Bachmann said Wednesday, May 29, 2013, that she will not run for re-election in 2014.



Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann announced Wednesday that her fourth term in Congress will be her last, choosing to leave on her own terms after a dismal 18 months in which her presidential bid collapsed and she barely managed to retain her House seat.
Bachmann, a leading figure in the tea party movement, discussed the decision in a Web video sent to supporters by email. She said her departure was unrelated to ethics inquiries stemming from the failed presidential run and “was not influenced by any concerns about my being re-elected.'
After eight years in Washington, Bachmann left the door open to other political options, though she didn’t say what those might be. She was traveling in Russia as part of a congressional delegation and was not available for interviews.

It was a sudden turn for Bachmann, the foster-parent-turned-conservative politician whose climb to prominence roughly coincided with the rise of the tea party. She swiftly became a face of the movement and helped found the tea party caucus in the House. But she was also at risk of being left behind as the movement matured.
Her departure is part of a larger shift .