Rep. Matt Grossell announces he will not seek reelection in 2024

Dec. 8—CLEARBROOK — After four consecutive terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, announced on Friday that he will not be seeking reelection in 2024.

Prior to joining the House of Representatives in 2017, Grossell served as a Clearwater County Sheriff's Deputy. Currently, he represents District 2A which includes Lake of the Woods County as well as portions of Beltrami and Clearwater Counties.

In a release, Grossell noted his work on the Public Safety committees for all four terms as well as the Judiciary committees for the past three biennia where he has championed bringing attention to the scourge of child sexual abuse. His committee work also includes time on Capitol investment, education innovation policy, and veterans and military affairs.

In 2019,

Grossell was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing

after he refused to leave a hospital he was transported to after acting intoxicated and disorderly at the Best Western Plus Capitol Ridge in St. Paul.

Following the incident, Grossell released a statement.

"Saturday morning, I received a citation in St. Paul," the statement read. "I apologize to my family, my constituents, my colleagues, and my friends. As a retired Deputy Sheriff, I will fully cooperate with any next steps."

As a result of the 2019 incident, Grossell agreed to enter a court diversion program and was taken off House public safety and judiciary committees by Speaker Melissa Hortman. Hortman stated she found Grossell's "implied threat" to law enforcement to be an abuse of office.

After being reelected in 2020,

he returned to the committees. He was then

reelected once again in 2022,

beating out Bemidji's Reed Olson 8,836-7,406.

On July 11, 2023, Grossell was sentenced to 90 days in jail in Clearwater County for a DWI for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol after

being cited on Feb. 11, 2023, for driving while intoxicated.

According to the incident report, Grossell was stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol for speeding in the early morning hours of Feb. 11 in Gonvick. He submitted to a blood alcohol test that showed he was at .15%, which is nearly twice the legal driving limit of .08%.

"This has been such an honor to represent my community in St. Paul for these eight years. A sufficient amount of time for one person to hold office," Grossell said of his time in the legislature. "I am looking forward to finishing strong in St. Paul, especially through pushing for tax cuts, which are critical for families and small businesses facing record inflation. Additionally, I believe it is important to provide our officers with the support they need to excel in our state.

"While I look forward to retirement in Alaska to be near family; as well as with better tax rates and better support for police, I will always call the Northwoods my home. God's blessings to my constituents, colleagues and the state of Minnesota."