No secretary of state run for Malek

COEUR d'ALENE - State Rep. Luke Malek said Thursday he won't be running for Idaho Secretary of State next year after all.

Malek, a Coeur d'Alene Republican, said last month he was considering doing so.

"My passion for serving the state of Idaho is put to best use right now through focusing on my home district and on the issues important to my home," Malek said in a statement.

He said he made his decision after careful consideration over the holidays with his wife and family.

He was honored by the people who urged him to run, he said, and those who reached out during the past few weeks with advice.

Malek first won election to the House in November 2012, taking over the seat formerly occupied by Marge Chadderdon.

Last month, he said his education and work experience make him a good fit for someone running the Secretary of State's office.

A graduate of the University of Idaho's law school, Malek is a former Kootenai County deputy prosecutor and served Jim Risch as North Idaho regional director when Risch was governor.

Malek currently is director of legal affairs and program development at Heritage Health.