Former 45th District State Representative Toby Nixon issued the following statement to his friends and supporters today:

"I appreciate the many inquiries and expressions of support I have received over the past few weeks from many friends in the community and around the state. After much careful consideration and consultation with my family and advisors, I have decided to not seek election to the state House of Representatives or any another office in 2008. I have made a number of commitments that I must fulfill, including expanded responsibilities at Microsoft, seeing the amendment to the King County Charter creating an elected director of elections through to adoption, my service as president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government and my involvement in several other non-profit organizations, as well as, even more importantly, needing to focus attention on my responsibilities to my family and church. These require more attention than would be possible if I were also running a campaign of my own this year. I am keeping my options open with regard to other opportunities after 2008, but in the meantime I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to bring about needed changes through the many other ways available to us as citizens."

Nixon served as State Representative for the 45th District from 2002 through 2007. He currently serves as president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, a member of the Executive Committee of the Washington state chapter of Republicans for Environmental Protection, a member of the Board of Directors of Heart of America Northwest, and on the Advisory Council of Youth Eastside Services (YES). He chaired Citizens for Accountable Elections, sponsor of Initiative 25 (2007) to make the King County Director of Elections an elected non-partisan office. He is Senior Standards Program Manager in the Windows Device Platform Group at Microsoft in Redmond, where he has worked for fifteen years. Nixon and his wife Irene have been married for 25 years; they and their five children reside in the Kingsgate neighborhood of Kirkland. Further details on his activities and community involvement can be found at http://www.tobynixon.com/bio.htm.