U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg has packed up his office in Suite 324 of the Hart Senate Building and moved into new digs on the first floor, an aide told BuzzFeed. It's a switch that'd be routine for most members of the Senate, but not one gearing up for retirement.
Lautenberg, who turned 89 years old last month, may in fact be settling in.
The senior Senator from New Jersey has yet to announce — and perhaps yet to decide himself — whether he will retire or run for reelection when his term expires in 2014. But Newark mayor Cory Booker, a rising national star, has already declared — to much controversy — that he will "consider" running for Lautenberg's seat, and more recently, Booker filed papers to make the run official.
Lautenberg moved into the new, larger space — Hart 141 — on Monday, after staffers packed up his old office Friday afternoon, the Senator's aide said.
"The new office is very convenient for the Senator's frequent visitors from New Jersey," said the aide. "It's easier for constituents to find on the first floor and it has more meeting space. The Senator enjoys meeting with large school groups and the new office can accommodate giant student groups in the adjacent atrium area."
Even if Lautenberg does choose to retire, he will still have 23 months in the new office before the end of his term.
This post has been updated with additional information about the size and convenience of Lautenberg's new office.