Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN) announced on Friday that he will not seek re-election in 2018, leaving his swing district in Minnesota up for grabs.
“Now is the time for me to pass the baton to the next generation,” Nolan said in a statement.
In a letter announcing his retirement, Nolan said that he planned to finish his term in Congress “strong.”
“Despite the fact that our nation is being challenged by some rather troubling politics, let’s remember that our founders foresaw difficult times and gave us the tools to see them through,” Nolan wrote in the letter obtained by the Star Tribune. “Our Constitution is strong, our people are resilient, and the elections of 2018, 2020 and beyond provide continuing opportunities for progress, reform and necessary change.”
Nolan’s decision came as a bit of a surprise given his announcement in June that he would not run for governor because he felt pressure to hold onto his congressional seat. The district is historically Democratic, but it is slowly becoming more Republican leaning, as Kyle Kondik, an elections expert at the University of Virginia, explained.
I will say, MN-8 probably easier to hold as an open seat for Ds in 2018 than in 2020 w/ Trump on the ballot. May be just a matter of time — months or years — before this ancestrally D area flips down ballot though https://t.co/q67xTUIQY0
— Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) February 9, 2018
Hopefully any descent to redness the district may be experiencing will be swamped by the blue wave…
That seems to be Kondik’s point. If the Dem generic advantages holds or extends, it’ll actually be a good year for Democratic incumbents in swing districts to pass the baton, just as it’ll be inverse for Republicans in swing districts to retire.
I guess he is tired of the relentless attacks by the Stuart Mills connected Koch Industries PACs that poured MILLIONS into this election in the last 2 cycles.
If you don’t know, Stuart Mills is the epitome of Republicans now; a very Wealthy Rich-Boy/Idiot who sees “Politics as the last refuge of scoundrels” as a good thing. He sold his interest in the Mills Fleet & Farm business his dad built to finance his “vanity runs” against Rick Nolan (who, despite what anyone says is quite vulnerable to a Far-Reich-Winger like Mills who lies his ass off with no compunction, as that plays well in the Iron Range lately.) Nolan BARELY squeaked out a victory in 2016 and seems just tired of the whole thing (not that I blame him.)
I’m sure the Koch PACs are jumping with joy with this news, finally they think, the 3rd time will be a charm for their “useful idiot”, Stuart Mills III who is SURE to run again as he has nothing else to do.
Now that rich young dude with the long hair who always challenges him will get in. Yuck.
He cut his hair last time and donned a flannel shirt and (pressed) blue-jeans and (clean) work-boots to try to look “Northern” to the Iron Range folks.
It didn’t work (barely) but with unlimited Koch PAC money behind him (and his own fortune) he just might pull it off in 2018.