Ending more than a year of on and off speculation, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich has announced he will not run for Congress in Washington state.

In an email announcement, Kucinich thanked his supporters who had urged him to move here and run. He said he'd "given a great deal of time and much thought" to the idea.

But, Kucinich wrote: "After careful consideration and discussions with Elizabeth and my closest friends, I have decided that, at this time, I can best serve from outside the Congress."

Kucinich did not specify what he'll do after finishing his term in January, but vowed to stay politically active on issues of peace, workers' rights and economic and social justice.

Kucinich is being squeezed out of Congress after his longtime Cleveland district was merged with fellow Democrat Marcy Kaptur's due to redistricting. The two faced off in a primary in March, and Kucinich was defeated.

Kucinich's announcement will disappoint some local Democratic activists who viewed the eight-term congressman as one of the few politicians with an unassailable anti-war and pro-union record.

But it's welcome news for state Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz, who recently said Kucinich would be remembered as a "narcissist" if he ran here -- a remark that drew demands for an apology from local Kucinich supporters.