Rep. Heath Shuler (D) said no to a Senate bid for the second, third and fourth times Monday at a groundbreaking ceremony in Asheville.

Shuler, who late last year acknowledged that he was considering a bid against Sen. Richard Burr (R) in 2010, released a statement in March stating that he had instead decided to seek re-election in the House. Yet Shuler has continued to be at the center of recruitment rumors in the Tar Heel State after it became clear that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was still interested in him.

“I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate,— Shuler told the Hendersonville Times-News. “I have said that a thousand times, and I don’t know why they keep coming up [with the idea]. Of course they keep coming up and running polls.—

“I have two kids,— he added. “My kids would have to live in Washington for the next 18 months. It is something I am not willing to sacrifice.—