North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan said in a statement released Tuesday that he would not seek re-election in November.  The announcement was a surprise to Democrats worried about protecting their majority role in the Senate.

Dorgan served 12 years in the House of Representatives before being elected to Senate in 1992.  At the age of 67, Dorgan said he “began to wrestle with the question of whether making a commitment to serve in the Senate seven more years was the right thing to do.”

“Although I still have a passion for public service and enjoy my work in the Senate, I have other interests and I have other things I would like to pursue outside of public life,” Dorgan said in his statement.

The decision has reportedly stunned fellow Democrats, who are feeling the pressure from a public that is seeming to turn on the party.

Lately, rumors have been swelling that Republican Gov. John Hoeven was planning to challenge Dorgan for his seat in November.  The public may have unseated Dorgan anyway, as early polls showed him trailing to Hoeven in a hypothetical race.

Republicans expect Hoeven to announce his candidacy soon.  Democrats are already promising that they will find a strong candidate to run in place of Dorgan.