The Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun, reports that last week’s announcement by Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, that she will not seek a ninth term “has renewed speculation” about possible retirements of two other Ohio Republicans: Reps. David L. Hobson and Ralph Regula. In a statement, Hobson said “‘as of now, I’m running,’ but added that he hasn’t completely gone through his decision-making process yet. Still, he’s raising money for 2008. Hobson, 70, had $887,894 in his campaign coffers as of June 30. . . . Regula, 82, who is in his 18th term representing his northeast Ohio district, has not committed to running or retiring. He had $163,579 in the bank as of June 30, but at this time period in the last election cycle, he only had $114,752 in the bank.”

According to the Dallas Morning News, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, re-elected to a third Senate last year, “is now contemplating her future. It could be serving out her six-year term and going into the private sector, where she could multiply her salary many times. But she is still drawn to a governor’s race. She played with the idea for months last time around but ultimately decided to avoid an anticipated bitter primary race against Gov. Rick Perry. Now she says that if she decides to run for governor in 2010, “nothing and no other candidate — even if Mr. Perry decides to run for a third full term — would hold her back. . . . ‘Whoever else is in the race is really not a factor,’ Ms. Hutchison said.”

The Lawrence, Kan., Journal-World reports, “Fundraising in the Republican Party primary for the 2nd Congressional District shows the classic conservative-moderate split in the Kansas GOP. Conservatives are opening their wallets to former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun, while State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins is getting moderates’ support. . . . Spokesmen for each campaign say their candidates are attracting support from both sides, but that is more the exception than the rule. Ryun and Jenkins are battling for the right to carry the Republican banner” next year against Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda, who ousted Ryun last year.