D-F-L State Representative Karen Clark, one of the longest-serving members of the legislature and the longest-serving openly lesbian state lawmaker in the nation, announced today she will not run for re-election after 19 terms in office. Clark was instrumental in the state recognizing same-sex marriage, and sponsored groundbreaking legislation to combat sexual harassment. She says about current events, “It is discouraging to have some of the people that we have really trusted and admired to be part of the problem, but then we all have to be part of the solution, and I’m hopeful about it.”
D-F-L Representative Susan Allen from Minneapolis, the first openly lesbian Native American state lawmaker in the nation, also announced today she is not running for re-election.