J. Scott Applewhite / AP
This June 5, 2012, file photo Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Monday, March 2, 2015 | 7:58 a.m.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the longest serving woman in Congress, says she won't seek re-election to a sixth term.
The 78-year-old Maryland Democrat made the announcement Monday in Baltimore.
Mikulski known as a tough, no-nonsense lawmaker who rose to the leadership of the powerful Appropriations Committee. She tells reporters that she'll still have 2 years in her current term and says she hasn't written "the last chapter" in her career.
Her retirement is certain to set off a race among potential Senate candidates. These include Reps. Chris Van Hollen and Donna Edwards. Others include former Govs. Martin O'Malley, who is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Republican Bob Ehrlich.
Mikulski became the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress in 2012.
AP Special Correspondent David Espo and writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this story.
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