Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers says he won't run in 2008 for a fourth term as the state's top lawyer.
The 67-year-old Democrat cites his age as a key factor in his decision, noting that he would be into his 70s during a fourth term. He says the Oregon Department of Justice, which he oversees, deserves fresh leadership as well.
Myers' announcement leaves a wide-open field in next year's attorney general's race.
Among those who have been mentioned as possible contenders is Democratic state Representative Greg Macpherson of Lake Oswego.
At a news conference, Myers said he's proud of his record of consumer protection. And he says he believes he brought professionalism to an office that needs a fair and impartial chief.
In addition, Myers successfully defended Oregon's Death with Dignity Act before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court upheld the law in 2006. He also helped write a settlement in 1998 between states and the tobacco industry, of which Oregon receives a payment of about $150 million every two years.
So far, no candidates have stepped forward to run for Oregon's top law enforcement post.
--The Associated Press
