Washougal Mayor Pro Tem Jon Russell announced Tuesday that he is bowing out of the 3rd Congressional District race, has endorsed Republican state Rep. Jaime Herrera in that contest, and will run for Herrera’s 18th District legislative seat.

Russell said in a statement that since Herrera entered the race late last year, “there has been a dramatic negative shift in our fundraising ability. Many of my supporters have been torn in their loyalties between Rep. Herrera and me.”

“We were bringing in close to $10,000 a month between September and November,” he said in an interview. “Once Jaime got in in December, that dropped to $500 a month.”