Roulstone ends bid for Congress

Republican Doug Roulstone of Snohomish is halting his campaign against incumbent Democratic Congresman Rick Larsen.

Here’s the text of a press release Roulstone sent to party leaders today.

For personal and family reasons, I am reluctantly withdrawing from the race

for the Second Congressional seat. I want to sincerely thank those that have supported me in the 2006 campaign and thus far in the 2008 campaign. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my lifetime. I would encourage every citizen to one day run for public office. Again, I want to thank all those who have helped me in the past and wish everyone a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Roulstone, a retired Navy captain and small business owner,

lost to Larsen by a wide margin in 2006.

In an e-mail to Republican insiders, Roulstone said he would attempt to refund unspent contributions to donors.

I’ll update as new details become available.