Thibaudeau drops out of state senate race

OLYMPIA — Democratic State Sen. Pat Thibaudeau said today she will not seek re-election this year in Seattle's 43rd District.

That clears the way for state Rep. Ed Murray, who announced earlier this spring that he would run against Thibaudeau in the Democratic primary.

Thibaudeau, 73, was first elected to the state House in 1992 and then to the Senate in 1995. She has served in the past as chairwoman of the Senate Health Care Committee, but currently chairs no committees.

Thibaudeau was appointed last week by Gov. Christine Gregoire to serve as co-chair of a new commission that is supposed to craft a five-year plan to tackle the soaring costs of health care.

Murray is looking to fill the seat once held by his mentor, Sen. Cal Anderson, the Legislature's first openly gay member. After Anderson's death, Murray lost to Thibaudeau in the race for the open seat.

Murray was the driving force behind a landmark gay-rights law that passed the Legislature this year. The law, which Anderson had pushed since the 1970s, bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.

As chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Murray played a key role in pushing through several landmark transportation improvement packages – including the $8.5 billion gas tax increase approved by voters last fall.

Unless another prominent Democrat enters the race, Murray should be a shoo-in for the Senate. The 43rd District — which includes Capitol Hill, Wallingford, the University District and parts of Fremont — is overwhelmingly Democratic.