It looks like the top GOP Senate challenger in Washington state is taking a pass this year. The AP's Rachel La Corte has the story.

Dino Rossi, who unsuccessfully challenged his 129-vote loss in last fall's governor's race, told national Republicans Friday that he won't run for U.S Senate next year, dashing hopes that the charismatic former state senator could knock off a vulnerable Democrat incumbent.

In a letter Friday to Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., the Sammamish Republican said that while he was flattered to be considered as a challenger to Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, he didn't want to disrupt his family and is focusing on working for the state from home.

"Right now I'm committed to turning this state around, and I need to stay here to accomplish that goal," Rossi wrote to Dole, who is chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Rossi had been touted by Republicans as the perfect candidate to take on U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, but for months he has consistently shot that idea down. Cantwell still hasn't drawn a GOP challenger.

[...]

She said Cantwell raised $1.7 million in campaign contributions in the last quarter, bringing the year's total to over $3.6 million, with about $3 million still on hand.

That's a hefty sum for a state the size of Washington, especially for this point in the game.