According to outgoing Rep. Scott Muschany, R-Frontenac, John Diehl Jr., chairman of the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners, will file Wednesday to run for the 87th District House seat Muschany is vacating (see post below).

Muschany sent out a news release to that effect and confirmed the information in a phone call with the Post-Dispatch. Muschany says he actually made the decision to not seek reelection during the early days of the just-ended legislative session. He says he wants to spend more time with his family. Muschany and his wife have two boys.

“In the end, we decided that to do the job right just takes too hard of a toll on family, especially when you have young children,” Muschany said.

He said he decided against making his intentions known to avoid lame-duck status. “I would have spent five months being irrelevant if I announced early in the session.”

Muschany said he “lined up” Diehl to run about six to eight weeks ago. Diehl is a partner with Armstrong-Teasdale law firm.

UPDATE: Zoole weighs in with an e-mailed quote: “This race was never about Scott Muschany. Instead it was — and remains –  about the importance of quality public education, promoting stem cell research, and restoring Medicaid benefits to our children. We intend to press my campaign with renewed vigor, and regardless of who our opponents are, so that the 87th District gets the representation in Jefferson City that it deserves.”