Rep. Mary Skinner, R-Yakima, said today that she will not run for re-election this fall.

"After long and careful consideration and much prayer, I have decided not to seek an eighth term in office as state representative and will retire in January," she said in a press release.

Skinner, who recently battled colon cancer, said that the disease is in remission and that she remains healthy.

"I do feel fine and I want people to know that my retirement has absolutely nothing to do with my health," she said. "However, when you have faced cancer, you begin to view life in a different perspective." She said she's gained a deeper appreciation of life, friends and family, and that after 14 years in the statehouse, "it is time to return to them."

Skinner, a former teacher, is a lifelong resident of Yakima.

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