State Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, has decided against making a run for Idaho Secretary of State, and instead will seek another term in his District 14 Senate seat. Hagedorn, 57, made the announcement this morning on Twitter, Facebook, and “all my social media,” he said. “For me, social media is a critical connection.” He noted, “My 83-year-old dad is also on social media. … Everyone is becoming connected.”

Hagedorn, a retired Navy man who served three terms in the House before moving to the Senate in 2012, said he decided to stay in the Senate because of the challenging array of issues he’s able to address there. “I started thinking about all of the different things that we do in the Legislature, from potholes, the prisons, to health and welfare,” he said. “To try and live and work in that environment and solve the issues that we face is something that challenges me mentally and something that I enjoy.”

There’s already a crowded field in the GOP race for Secretary of State, now that longtime Secretary of State Ben Ysursa has announced he won’t seek another term. Former House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, entered the race even before Ysursa withdrew. Also looking at possible runs are former state Sen. Mitch Toryanski, R-Boise; chief deputy Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane; and Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene. And that’s just on the GOP side. Idaho’s primary election is in May. Click below to read Hagedorn's full statement.

Sen. Marv Hagedorn's statement:

“After some soul searching, and a great number of discussions with family and friends, I have decided to run for the State Senate vs. the Sec. of State's office in 2014. The Legislature is a very complex operation working on a multitude of State and national issues all the time. That challenge keeps me charged-up at this stage of my life. I do appreciate the support of those that wanted me to run for the SoS office in the Executive branch and I hope you will continue to support my efforts in the Senate, but my gut tells me now is not the right time for a move.”