Minnesota Democrat Rep. Rick Nolan Will Not Run For Re-Election

Minnesota Eighth District Congressman Rick Nolan announced he will not seek re-election and plans to retire at the end of this year. "There is a time and a purpose for everything and now is the time for me to pass the baton to the next generation," Nolan, 74, said in a statement released Friday.

Nolan was first elected to Congress in 1974 before leaving office in 1981. Decades later, he ran again and was elected in 2012 when he defeated Republican incumbent Chip Cravaack.

"To be sure, I'm really going to miss representing the 8th District," he wrote. "But it is time for me to spend more time with my wonderful wife, Mary, our four fantastic adult children and their terrific spouses, and our 13 remarkable grandchildren. They have been incredibly patient and supportive. Now it's time for me to respond in kind, and give them the attention they deserve and I want to give."

Image: Patch