Toby Nixon

When the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that Initiative 297, which blocks continued nuclear waste from being disposed at Hanford Nuclear Reservation, was unconstitutional, it affected more than just advocates of the Hanford situation. Because of the parties involved, the decision may have an impact on some of the state's political races, as well.

According to Mulick, former Rep. Toby Nixon will seek the seat he vacated in 2007 in the 45th district. Nixon, a Kirkland Republican who stepped down to try a failed Senate run, will challenge incumbent Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland).