Tebelius out, behind McGavick

RNC member and last year's 8th district GOP primary runner-up Diane Tebelius, widely regarded as Senate candidate Mike McGavick's strongest potential challenger, has dropped out of the race to take on Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell. Tebelius had been a leader among Republicans opposing the state party's apparent coronation of McGavick as their 2006 nominee. State Sen. Linda Evans Parlette has, according to state chair Chris Vance, also dropped out. This leaves former Seattle local news anchor Susan Hutchinson as the only prominent potential Republican candidate aside from McGavick left to make up her mind. McGavick's reported $700,000 in early contributions likely provided some sway towards Tebelius' decision, and perhaps soon to be Hutchinson's.