Do urban Democrats ever just retire?

[rob in cal]

In pondering the political staying power of Northern California congressional Democrats it seems that they stay in office for a long time and when they step down from Congress, they go for other government positions, with a private sector position never really entering into the picture.  A few have died in office, Lantos, Leo Ryan assassinated of course in Guyana in 1978, and I'm thinking Burton died in office as well in the 1980's.  Others move on to other elected offices, like Boxer or Dellums, or are appointed to a government position like Tausher, or Panetta, but it seems that in general these Democrats are like the energizer bunnies of American politics, they just keep going and going
    Sam Farr, who replaced Congressman Panetta once said to someone when he was in the Assembly that he wouldn't know  what to do if he wasn't in elective office. In the current wave of Democratic retirements it seems most of them are from rural or mixed rural small and medium sized town districts, not a lot of urban Democrats among them.  I'm guessing this is because they never have to worry about reelection, they love being there, and they want to pass more and more legislation anyway, so they arent' discouraged by the whole political process like a small-government libertarian type might be.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

It's because they're as safe as hell, why would you give up a job if you enjoy it and you know you can stay there without fear of unemployment?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Dellums did retire randomly in the middle of a term, and then unretired.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Vic Fazio eventually retired, in 1998.  Before that, I dthink you'd have to go back to 1978 to find a Northern Cal Dem who retired voluntarily.

[J. J.]

William Gray, who was Majority Whip at the time. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Gray_%28Pennsylvania%29

I live in what is now his district.

[memphis]

Urban Dems are hardly unusual in their unwillingness to go away. Look at Strom Thurmond, Robert Byrd, et al.