MN sees 50-year high in lawmaker retirements

Bill Salisbury, Pioneer Press
·3 min read
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When the 2022 Minnesota Legislature adjourned for the year Monday, 51 lawmakers — more than one in five members — cast votes in the House and Senate for the last time, at least in their current offices.

Those 51 retirements mark the largest voluntary turnover in the Legislature since 1972, when 54 incumbents stepped aside, according to Legislative Reference Library records.

Why the big turnover? The main reason is redistricting. The Legislature typically sees the most turnover in election years when incumbents are placed in new districts by court-ordered redistricting maps that reflect population changes.

This year, 22 lawmakers were “paired” in districts with other incumbents. So, one of them either had to retire, move to a district with an open seat or go head-to-head against a sitting colleague.

One decade ago, 36 state lawmakers retired after redistricting. In 1982, some 40 legislators gave up their seats. Those elections immediately followed a new census at the start of a decade, such as this one.

The current crop of retirees includes 16 of the 72 female lawmakers, but four of the seven women giving up House seats are running for the Senate.

The retirements won’t result in significant advantages for either major political party. In the Senate, 10 DFLers and eight Republicans are stepping down, along with two independents. Two senators are seeking other offices this year.

In the House, 14 Republicans and 12 DFLers are not seeking re-election. But nine of those Republican House members are running for Senate seats this fall, compared to just three Democrats looking to change chambers.

Among the legislators leaving the Capitol involuntarily are Sens. Michelle Benson and Paul Gazelka, who stepped down to seek the Republican endorsement for governor, which went to former Sen. Scott Jensen this month.

SENATE RETIREMENTS

  • Tom Bakk, I-Cook

  • Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake

  • Karla Bigham, DFL-Cottage Grove (running for Washington County commissioner)

  • Greg Clausen, DFL-Apple Valley

  • Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center

  • Kent Eken, DFL-Audubon

  • Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake

  • Michael Goggin, R-Red Wing

  • Jerry Newton, DFL-Coon Rapids (running for a House seat)

  • Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria

  • Ann Johnson Stewart, DFL-Wayzata

  • Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury

  • Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake

  • Melisa Lopez Franzen, DFL-Edina

  • Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson

  • David Osmek, R-Mound

  • Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont

  • David Tomassoni, I-Chisholm

  • Patricia Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis

  • Chuck Wiger, DFL-Maplewood

HOUSE RETIREMENTS

  • Tony Albright, R-Prior Lake

  • Connie Bernardy, DFL-New Brighton

  • Shelley Christensen, DFL-Stillwater

  • Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis

  • Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake

  • Todd Lippert, DFL-Northfield

  • Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin

  • Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul

  • Paul Marquardt, DFL-Glyndon

  • Tim Miller, R-Prinsburg

  • John Poston, R-Lakeshore

  • Steve Sandell, DFL-Woodbury

  • Mike Sundin, DFL-Esko

LEAVING HOUSE, SEEKING SENATE SEAT

  • Ami Wazlawik, DFL-White Bear Township

  • Cal Bahr, R-East Bethel

  • Liz Boldon, DFL-Rochester

  • Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa

  • Steve Green, R-Fosston

  • Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe

  • Barb Haley, R-Red Wing

  • Tony Jurgens, R-Cottage Grove

  • Eric Lucero, R-Dayton

  • Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven

  • Jordan Rasmussen, R-Fergus Falls

  • Tama Theis, R-St. Cloud

  • Tou Xiong, DFL-Maplewood

LEAVING HOUSE, SEEKING OTHER OFFICE