Facing a tough re-election fight in Louisiana, Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) has decided not to seek a second term.

Associated Press reports:

Gov. Kathleen Blanco, whose popularity plummeted after two hurricanes devastated Louisiana during her term, announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election.

Blanco has been burdened by the sluggish pace of recovery and by pressure within the Democratic Party, but she said she wanted to push through important initiatives without having to worry about political considerations.

“I am doing this so we can work without interference from election year politics,” she said in a televised appearance from the governor’s mansion Tuesday evening.

She had already broken the news in phone calls to legislative leaders, a meeting with her Cabinet secretaries and in a letter to her staff.