In what quickly went from a rumor to a confirmed certainty this morning via Twitter, it appears state Sen. Rodney Tom, the Medina, cough, “Democrat,” who helped the conservative Majority Coalition caucus hijack control of the Senate two years ago, will not run for reelection this year. Naturally, many Democrats are very excited by this news.

As far as I can tell, Austin Jenkins was one of the first people with the news. Josh Feit, of PubliCola, has also been all over the story, posting Tom’s letter to members of the Majority Coalition caucus not long ago. According to the letter, Tom’s decision is due to family and health concerns. Specifically, Tom says he’s “still working through some health issue related to my kidney stones adventure that I had at the end of session,” and is also dealing with a recent accident in which his 85-year-old father was hit by a car while walking to the grocery store.

“It has been an incredible honor to serve in the Legislature these past 12 years, especially these last two years working with the Majority Coalition Caucus (MCC),” Tom writes. “It has been a thrill of a lifetime working with all of you (well, most of you!). I really do believe we did an amazing job for the citizens of Washington state these past two years in focusing on jobs and the economy, creating a great education system for all of Washington from pre-K to our colleges and universities, all while maintaining a sustainable budget that empowers our economy.”

You can read the full letter via PubliCola here.