McInnis won’t run for senate seat

DENVER - Former Colorado Congressman Scott McInnis announced Wednesday he will not be a candidate for the 2008 Senate seat that Wayne Allard is giving up.

The Grand Junction Republican, who since leaving Congress has worked as an attorney for a Denver-based law firm, released a statement where he said his decision is "based on doing what is right for Colorado, and ultimately what is right for my family.

"I will remain actively involved, just not on the ballot," he said. "I appreciate the warm reception and encouragement that I received from many Coloradans. I thank them for the privilege of service they afforded and bestowed upon me for many years. I will look forward to continuing to work with the next generation of leaders to uphold the ideals and values that make Colorado great."

McInnis, who still has a campaign fund of nearly $1 million which he could have used on this race, was considered one of the front-runners on the Republican side. He represented Colorado's 3rd Congressional District for multiple terms.

To read McInnis' entire statement, you can click here.

Other Republicans considering the race include former Congressman and current State Board of Education member Bob Schaffer, Attorney General John Suthers, radio talk show host Dan Caplis and retired Air Force General Bentley Rayburn.

Rep. Mark Udall is the only Democrat to have expressed interest in running for the position. Udall has not formally announced his plans yet.

"I am personally disappointed that Scott McInnis has taken himself out of the race for the U.S. Senate in 2008. I regard him as a friend and only a week or so ago we met and traded jokes about our respective futures," Udall said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. "Scott has been a strong advocate for the West Slope, and I believe he would have been a formidable candidate for the United States Senate."

Udall will appear this Sunday on 9NEWS' debut program, YOUR SHOW, where he will answer questions from viewers.

Allard recently announced he would not run for a third term, honoring his pledge to voters that he would only serve two terms in the U.S. Senate.