Rep. Sheldon Johnson announces he will not seek re-election

Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL-St. Paul) announced Thursday he will not seek a 10th term in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

District 67B includes much of the eastern part of the Capital City, including the Dayton’s Bluff, Mounds Park and Battle Creek neighborhoods.

“It’s been a pleasure for me to represent such an amazing community,” he said in a statement. “I cannot express how grateful I am for the trust they’ve placed in me to be their voice as we’ve fought for values we share. Some of the work I’m most proud of at the Legislature is that which improves people’s lives, including making our schools better, our communities more livable, consumer protections stronger, investing in broadband across Minnesota, cleaning up our environment, and improving Metro State University including building the science center and library. My primary focus has been to ensure everyone has the opportunity to do better than those who came before them and to leave a better world for those who will come after.”

MORE Read his full statement

Johnson, who worked in Ramsey County Community Corrections outside the Legislature, currently serves on the House State Government Finance, Civil Law and Data Practices Policy and Commerce and Regulatory Reform committees. He also chairs the Mississippi River Parkway Commission.

Johnson has two grown daughters, Renee and Eva.

“Part of making the decision to retire now has a lot to do with the fact that I’m about to become a grandparent,” he said. “I want to be able to spend time with my family in retirement and to do so while I’m still young enough to enjoy it. I’m truly proud of what I accomplished at the Legislature and am looking forward to working with the people of our community to make sure we see continued progress not just in our diverse corner of Saint Paul, but for every Minnesotan who deserves to have their voice heard.”