Texas Rep. Ron Paul to Retire From Congress

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Rep. Ron Paul says he will retire from Congress when his term runs out in 2012 and will focus on his campaign for president.

The 75-year-old Republican said Tuesday that he has been criticized in the past for running for Congress and the presidency at the same time. He says he believes he can fight for the issues he believes in from outside of Congress.

Paul says he will serve out his term through December 2012.

Paul's supporters made him the top online vote-getter in an unscientific survey sponsored by Time magazine. Time asked readers to predict the winner of the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, with a mail-in vote and via an online vote. Mitt Romney was the top pick by mail-in voters, but Paul easily won the online vote.