ST PAUL, Minn. — After 10 years in the Minnesota Senate, Minority Leader Melisa Lopez Franzen announced she will not run for reelection later this year.
In a video and statement posted on Twitter, Franzen celebrated the work she's accomplished with both her fellow Democrat and Republican colleagues and expressed an "immense feeling of gratitude" for her constituents.
Under the new political maps released last week, Franzen would be in the same district as fellow Democrat Ron Latz, who currently represents District 46.
Franzen, who represents the Minneapolis suburbs of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka and Edina (District 49) was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012, then reelected in 2016 and 2020.
She was selected by fellow DFL lawmakers to serve as Senate Minority Leader in 2021 and succeeded Sen. Susan Kent, who announced last September that she was stepping down from the position.
Franzen said she plans to serve until the end of her term, and though she didn't specifically outline what her future holds, said she intends to "continue to dedicate my work to the prosperity of our state and the issues that matter most to Minnesotans."
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