Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) will announce this evening that he will retire from the House upon the conclusion of his current term, according to a well-placed Republican source.

Shadegg is announcing his retirement a little more than one year removed from his campaign to be House Minority Whip, which he lost to Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.). Shadegg also sought and lost out on the Majority Leader post early in 2006.

Shadegg holds the GOP-leaning suburban Phoenix 3rd district and was facing a challenge from attorney Bob Lord (D). Democrats have been high on Lord, and were viewing Shadegg as a potential target depending on how Lord performed in the early stages of the campaign.

Lord has been successful on the fundraising front, but Shadegg had done even better, and seemed prime to run for an eighth term. Shadegg raised more than $1 million last year, to close 2007 with $864,000 in the bank. Lord raised more than $600,000, to close the year with $503,000 on hand.

Shadegg is the 29th House Republican to announce he will not seek another term.

It was not immediately clear whom Republicans would run to succeed him.

— David M. Drucker