Sen. Balfour takes political bow

By Nancy Badertscher

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) has decided not to run for Congress or for re-election to the Senate, where he chairs the powerful Rules Committee.

He had been one of the first candidates to declare for retiring U.S. Rep. John Linder's seat.

“Being a congressman has been something I thought I wanted to do," Balfour said in a prepared statement.

But he said in recent weeks, he had not been "at peace about the decision" to run in what is likely to be a crowded 7th Congressional District race.

He did not elaborate on his decision to retire from the Legislature, where, as Senate Rules Committee chair, he's the gatekeeper on which bills make it to the floor.

All 236 members of the Georgia Legislature are up for re-election this year, and Balfour had the distinction of being the longest-serving Republican in the Senate.

He also parlayed his 18 years as state senator from Gwinnett County into the elected job of president of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the premier state legislative organization.

Balfour said he'll be welcoming his son home from service in Afghanistan and continuing his 25-plus years as a Waffle House executive.

Through a staffer, he declined an interview Friday.