Dorman out
Add him to the list (below). Here's his press release.
ST. PAUL * Rep. Dan Dorman (R-Albert Lea) today announced that he is retiring from office, and will not run for reelection to the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 27A, representing Freeborn County. Dorman was first elected to the seat in 1998 and has served four terms.
"Eight years is a long time, "Dorman said. "And even though I'm not a fan of term limits, I sensed it was a good time to step away from the capitol and politics to spend a little more quality time with my family and run my business.
"There is never a bad time to re-tire," added Dorman, a Goodyear Tire dealer.
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Dorman, 43, was an early advocate for continuing state support for the state's ethanol industry, helping to ensure a plant was built in nearby Glenville, and backing requirements that ethanol be blended in all gasoline sold in the state. As a result, farmers have had a profitable new market for their corn and the air got cleaner in the Twins Cities.
One byproduct of Dorman's early advocacy is that ethanol is in demand worldwide in response to rising oil prices.
"I'm not smart enough to have been a visionary to see that ethanol and biodiesel would be filling major gaps in fuel supplies," Dorman said. "But I sure do feel proud that Minnesota was well positioned to be a leader in ethanol production."
Into his second term, Dorman was focused on economic development in Greater Minnesota, advocating incentives for businesses to grow and expand. He said he is still concerned that Greater Minnesota is losing influence at the State Capitol.
He also became an influential spokesman on the House Tax Committee, decrying inequities in the property tax system that often disadvantage Greater Minnesota communities. And when the state was faced with a budget crisis in 2003, Dorman often bucked members of his own party in opposing reductions in Local Government Aid which hit many rural cities hard.
"We're still trying to remedy many of the missteps we took in fixing that budget crisis," Dorman said.
Over his last term, Dorman served as chair of the House Capital Investment Committee, successfully brokering two $1 billion bonding bills between the House & Senate, and amid political in-fights between Republicans and DFLers.
"The secret is talking with people," Dorman said. "If you understand their needs, there's more room for compromise. That was a missing ingredient, I think, during the legislative gridlock in 2005."
Dorman and his wife, Mary Jo, have two children, Christopher and Matthew.
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Republicans
Sen. Bob Kierlin - Winona
Sen Michele Bachmann
Rep. Jeff Johnson - Plymouth
Rep. Jerry Dempsey
Rep.Barb Sykora
Rep.Fran Bradley
Rep. Ron Abrams
Rep. Scott Newman
Rep. Char Samuelson
Rep. Jim Knoblach
Rep. Andy Westerberg
Rep. Ray Vandeveer
Rep. Dan Dorman
Democrats
Sen. Becky Lourey
Sen. John Hottinger
Sen. Sharon Marko
Sen. Jane Ranum
Sen. Wes Skoglund
Sen. Sheila Kiscaden
Rep. Ruth Johnson
Rep. Barb Goodwin
Rep. Keith Ellison
Rep. Katie Sieben
Rep. Dan Larson
Rep. Matt Entenza - St. Paul