McMorris Rodgers to stay put

SPOKANE — U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers does not plan to seek the House majority leader position being given up by defeated Rep. Eric Cantor.McMorris Rodgers is the GOP conference chair, the No. 4 position in the House leadership. She says she plans to remain in that post.She represents the Spokane area in Congress.In a written statement, McMorris Rodgers says she was encouraged by colleagues to seek the higher post but decided to stay put.Cantor’s surprise defeat in Tuesday’s Virginia primary resonated particularly in McMorris Rodgers’ Fifth Congressional District. Voters there two decades ago ousted House Speaker Tom Foley in favor of Republican challenger George Nethercutt.