After redistricting moved State Sen. Al DeKruif of Elysian into a district with fellow GOP state Sen. Julie Rosen, DeKruif has decided he won't run for re-election.
He briefly considered moving into another district, where there is no incumbent, but decided Sunday to step down.
In a statement, the first-term legislator said:
"As I’ve thought about this decision, the most important
considerations are my family, my businesses including my many loyal customers, and doing what is best to help ensure Republicans keep majority in the Minnesota Senate; in that order. I am absolutely confident that Senator Julie Rosen will prevail and continue to be a conservative voice for our District."
DeKruif and his wife, Carol, own the Sakatah Trail Resort, and he has a company that plans the moving of large electric transformers to power plants around the country.
According to the Mankato Free Press, DeKruif also didn't want to move into the open district to the north because of concerns about his 32-year-old son Jason, who has cerebral palsy. On Saturday he told delegates at the county Republican convention: "I can’t displace him very far."