Foreman Says No To Senate Race

State Republican Chairman Dale Foreman said Tuesday he’ll forgo a race for the U.S. Senate nomination against freshman incumbent Patty Murray next year.

His decision leaves U.S. Rep. Linda Smith of Vancouver and Pierce County Executive Doug Sutherland of Tacoma as the only announced Republican candidates. U.S. Reps. Jennifer Dunn of Bellevue and George Nethercutt of Spokane previously took themselves out of the running.

Foreman’s decision was no surprise, since he had made an unequivocal pledge when he was running for party chairman last winter that he would forgo the Senate race and serve a full term as party leader. But he said he was under heavy pressure from some party activists, including members of his state central committee, to change his mind.

“I finally decided that I need to make it clear that I won’t be a candidate, that, ‘Thank you. I’m honored, but I made a promise and I’m going to live up to it,’ ” he said in a telephone interview from his Wenatchee law firm.

Foreman said his backers were putting on heavy pressure.