Democratic officials say Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, plans to retire.

The 72-year-old Democrat has served six terms. He helped steer President Barack Obama's ambitious health care overhaul into law in 2010 but more recently broke with the president on gun control legislation.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly disclose the senator's intentions.

Baucus is the seventh senator to announce his retirement. Two Republicans and four Democrats have already announced that they would not seek another term.