Shaking up 2012: US senators who aren't running for reelection

With the 2012 campaigns not far off, the departures of these incumbents are shaking things up. Here's how.

3. Herb Kohl (D) of Wisconsin

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP / File
Sen. Herb Kohl (D) of Wisconsin, seen here in June 2010, announced on May 13, 2011, that he will not seek re-election in 2012.

Senator Kohl is one of the wealthiest politicians in the country, with a personal net worth estimated to be at least $200 million – inspiring the catchphrase "Nobody's Senator but yours" in campaign commercials.

He has served in the Senate since 1988, and currently serves on the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committees. He also chairs the Special Committee on Aging. He has sponsored 274 bills during his Senate career, of which 236 did not make it out of committee and 4 were successfully enacted, according to the nonpartisan GovTrack.us.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Kohl was president of his family-owned business, Kohl's grocery and department stores, from 1970 to 1979, when the corporation was sold. In 1985, Kohl bought the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, which he still owns, along with its arena.

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