Minnesota Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan won’t seek re-election
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan announced Friday he would skip another uphill climb to re-election and retire from his northeastern Minnesota congressional seat, leaving a wide-open race in a swing district that has attracted tens of millions of dollars in outside spending in recent elections.
Nolan narrowly won three terms in the 8th District starting in 2012, reviving a career in Congress that began with a stint in the 1970s. But he faced another certain barrage from Republicans who see a chance to win one of a few Democratic districts that President Donald Trump won.
Nolan, a moderate Democrat with deep ties to the state’s labour-minded Iron Range, also faced increasing pressure from environmentally minded Democrats trying to block new mining projects in the region.
In a statement announcing his retirement, Nolan said “now is the time for me to pass the baton to the next generation.”