Pariseau will retire after 21 years in state Senate; 3 have filed to replace her

• Pat Pariseau

Pat Pariseau will retire after seven terms in the Minnesota Senate.
• Pariseau at the capitol

Pat Pariseau looks forward to worrying about doing legislative work this session rather than running for re-election.

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State Senator Pat Pariseau (R - Farmington) will step down as the Senator from the 36th district after serving seven terms in the Minnesota Senate.

“I have been carefully considering my retirement for quite a while now and want to step aside to let a new voice represent my beloved Senate district in St. Paul,” said Senator Pariseau.

Minority Leader David Senjem said, “Senator Pariseau has been a model of tireless work and dedication in the Senate. We will miss her legendary expertise and knowledge particularly in the areas of environmental resources, trapping, hunting, and fishing, legislation. The Senate won't be the same without Senator Pariseau. We will miss her greatly and wish her only the very best as she moves into what will undoubtedly be another active and contributing chapter of her life."

As of Monday afternoon, three candidates, all Republicans, had filed to replace Pariseau. Farmington resident Theresa Stokes and Lakeville residents Bob Erickson and David Thompson have all filed reports with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.

Senator Pariseau was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1988 in a special election. She went on to win re-election six more times.

She is the ranking Republican member on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee and was a key player in the formation of the constitutional amendment giving Minnesotans the constitutional right to hunt and fish.

A strong ally of the outdoorsman and farmers, Senator Pariseau was instrumental in work on many pieces of hunting and angling legislation including the creation of lifetime game, fishing, and trapping licenses in Minnesota, Minnesota’s concealed carry permit laws, bringing about the first dove hunting season in the state, trapper’s education requirements, and self protection and defense legislation.

Senator Pariseau was also an early player in the movement to dedicate three sixteenths of existing sales tax money to hunting, fishing and habitat preservation. Minnesotans passed a constitutional amendment which grew out of that movement two years ago when they passed the Lessard Heritage bill which raised a portion of new sales tax money and dedicated it to fund clean water, parks and trails, arts and cultural heritage.

A mother of six and widowed while in her sixth term in office, Senator Pariseau worked six years for United States Senator Rudy Boschwitz in his St. Paul office prior to beginning her work in the Minnesota Senate.

Pat Pariseau is serving her seventh term in the Minnesota State Senate.

She encourages and appreciates constituent input, and can be reached at 651-296-5252. By mail to 117 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55115, or via e-mail to senpat.pariseau@senate.mn

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