Ex-Rep. Barr Bows Out of Campaign

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, a conservative Republican who rose to prominence during the Clinton impeachment hearings, bowed out of a congressional race in a district some political commentators said was too moderate for him.

Barr had touted himself as the front-runner to fill the seat being vacated by Republican Johnny Isakson, but he said he was withdrawing to spend more time with his family and pursue other opportunities.

Barr, a fierce opponent of gun control and abortion rights who lost his redrawn congressional seat in a primary last year, may have been “too raw” for voters in Atlanta’s northern suburbs, said Merle Black, a political science professor at Atlanta’s Emory University.