Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann, who last year ran for the Republican presidential nomination, announced on Wednesday that she will stand down from her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In a video posted on her website and on YouTube, the stressed that her decision to stand down from her Minnesota seat was not due to any concern she would be defeated at the next election in 2014 or the inquiries into activities of her former presidential campaign staff.
And she said she would continue to fight for the policies she believes in and that her future was “limitless and my passion for America will remain.”
“There is no future option or opportunity … that I wouldn’t be giving serious consideration if it can help save and protect our great nation,” she said.
Bachmann said her decision to run for Congress and to seek the presidency had been “based solely on my heartfelt concern for our country’s future.”
“Unfortunately today I am even more concerned about our country’s future than I’ve ever been in the past,” she said.
“On so many issues, we’re clearly on the wrong track,” she added.
She said her decision was not influenced by her tough reelection campaign or the investigation into her 2012 presidential campaign. 'Be assured, my decision was not in any way influenced by any concerns about my being re-elected to Congress,' Bachmann said. 'And rest assured, this decision was not impacted in any way by the rece.