Attorney General Says He Won't Be Running In 2008

Tuesday, September 4th 2007, 4:28 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Attorney General Drew Edmondson took himself out of the race for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. His name had surfaced as a possible Democratic challenger to Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe, who is up for re-election in 2008. But Edmondson said he is committed to working on a complicated environmental lawsuit against poultry companies, and this legal effort will preclude him from running a Senate campaign in the next election.

Gov. Brad Henry has previously said he intends to finish his term, which runs through 2010.

Edmondson said that he will file election papers to raise funds to seek re-election in 2010 and hasn't ruled out a run for any other public position in that year, including the U.S. Senate or the governor's office.

Democratic state Sen. Andrew Rice has scheduled news conferences in Tulsa and Oklahoma City on Wednesday to announce his candidacy for Inhofe's Senate seat.