Democratic Sen. Goodwin Won't Seek Re-Election In 2016
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A showdown among two Minnesota House members took shape Friday, as a suburban state senator declared she wouldn't seek re-election next year.
Democratic Sen. Barb Goodwin of Columbia Heights told constituents a night before that she would retire rather than run in 2016. She told The Associated Press on Friday that she had already stayed in the Legislature longer than intended after serving two Senate terms and three in the House.
Goodwin said she looks forward to spending more time with family and hobbies. But she acknowledged she was frustrated by lack of action on mental health legislation she championed, saying: "I was getting tired of the politics at the Capitol, to be honest."
Reps. Connie Bernardy and Carolyn Laine, both Democrats, quickly announced they would seek their party endorsement for Senate in a district Democrats typically win handily.
Bernardy, who is in her fifth term, stressed her collaborative style and focus on education. She said that if she doesn't win the party's backing at an endorsing convention next spring, she would seek a return to the House.
Laine, also a fifth-term legislator, said her platform would focus on health care and education, namely revising the number of standardized tests for students.
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