House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, ended speculation that he would run for the Senate, saying he considered the idea at the suggestion of unnamed supporters.

"I thought about it, but I'm going to run for the House," the 14-year veteran told me Monday.

Such a move would have been a blow to conventional wisdom, which holds that Moyle is the leading candidate to replace House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, should there be a change at the top of the House. Denney, in his sixth year as speaker, has said he plans to run for the job again, but also said he could imagine returning to the ranks as a back bencher.

Moyle seemed to enjoy the flutter of talk about what a move to the Senate might mean. But he said he told his House colleague, Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, late Monday morning that he would stay put. Hagedorn announced earlier that he would run for the Senate and avoid a race between three incumbent GOP representatives for two seats under a new legislative map.

Hours before Moyle announced his intention to remain in the House, Hagedorn said he wouldn't let Moyle muscle him and would run for the Senate even with Moyle in the race.

"He's going to do what he's going to do," said the sixth-year lawmaker. "I can't walk back."

The primary is May 15.

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