March 20 (Bloomberg) -- Republican House leaders, aware that incumbents rarely lose, are struggling to prevent a wave of retirements that would bolster Democratic prospects to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the November elections.
New York Representative Sherwood Boehlert is the latest Republican lawmaker to retire, announcing Friday that he won't seek a 13th term in office. With Boehlert's departure, 17 Republicans have now announced their retirement compared with just nine Democrats.
``It's reaching a point where it's of concern,'' said Representative Gil Gutknecht, a Minnesota Republican.
This year, a toxic combination of low presidential approval ratings, a lobbying scandal and term limits on leadership posts may contribute to a flurry of further retirements, Gutknecht said.
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