Last week Rep. Mary Skinner (R-Yakima) made some waves in the 14th District when she announced her retirement late in the game, leaving little time for candidates to begin their campaigns.

The Yakima Herald reports that, in the small interval of time since Skinner's announcement, five candidates have expressed interest already, and one speculative frontrunner has even dropped out of the bidding.

Republican Yakima Mayor Dave Edler told the paper on Tuesday that he was not interested in heading to Olympia.

"I just don't feel like being gone a lot is the right thing for me to do in this season of my life," Edler said.

In his stead the following Republicans have announced their interest, former Yakima Councilwoman Susan Whitman, former Union Gap Schools superintendent Bob McLaughlin and fromre KIMA news anchor Chris Servery.

For the Democrats, Yakima school board president Vickie Ybarra said she was interested in starting a campaign and Yakima attorney Rod Nelson is "very, very interested."