Jay Rockefeller to retire at end of term, creating open seat in West Virginia

The 113th Congress will be Jay Rockefeller's last:

Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller will not run for reelection in 2014, passing up a bid for a sixth term and putting in play a Senate seat in deep red West Virginia.

In an interview with POLITICO, Rockefeller ' the chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and one of the most senior Senate Democrats ' said he had been wrestling with the question of whether to run again since October but had not made up his mind to retire until very recently.

Including special elections, 34 Senate seats will be up in 2014, 21 of them currently held by Democrats.