Congresswoman Deborah Pryce of Upper Arlington says she won't run for a ninth term.
Pryce was once the most powerful Republican woman in Congress but nearly lost her seat in the 2006 Democratic surge.
In a news release, she says there's never a good time to leave a job you love, but for her, the right time is now. Pryce points out that she has two elderly parents, as well as a daughter who starts kindergarten next week.
Her announcement sets off a scramble by both parties in one of the most competitive House districts in the country. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)