Michele Bachmann
"It is sobering to think that a Christian member of Congress would betray her testimony to the Lord and the public by withholding earned wages from deserving staff," said Bachmann for President's former national field coordinator. Reuters

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) confirmed Wednesday that she will seek a fourth term in Congress, ending speculation that she might use her unsuccessful run for President as a springboard to a media role.

I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing a strong, powerful voice to Washington, D.C., Bachmann said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Bachmann, 55, ended her faltering presidential campaign after finishing sixth in the Iowa Republican caucuses on Jan. 3. The Tea Party favorite surged in the polls early, buoyed by a strong debate performance in which she articulated a strong small-government message, but her lead eroded as supporters drifted to other candidates. Bachmann heads the Tea Party Caucus in the House, which claims 62 members, all Republicans.

No Democrats have yet declared their intention to run against Bachmann, who in the past proved herself to be formidable fundraiser. The borders of her district are still in flux as Minnesota waits for a redistricting committee to issue new electoral maps.

A vocal critic of the healthcare overhaul and financial reform bills championed by President Barack Obama, Bachmann's deep roots in evangelical Christianity also appeal to social conservatives.

We have to radically scale back on government spending, we have to radically cut back on debt accumulation, Bachmann said in the Associated Press interview.

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