State Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, announced Thursday during a press conference he would not seek reelection to the state Senate after his term expires in January 2015.
Cullen said in a statement he would use his retirement to focus on several foundations he established before he decided to re-enter state politics in 2010, including a free health clinic in Janesville and a nonprofit organization devoted to helping public educators.
The state senator was a main voice on the Democratic side of the recent debate over a bill that streamlined the permitting process for mining companies in the state and cleared the path for the first steps toward the Gogebic Taconite mine in northern Wisconsin.
In his statement, Cullen said his position in the political minority limited his effectiveness while serving in the past. He added that holding a position as a private state citizen involved with his organizations would allow him to make more of a positive difference statewide than his current position as a state senator, a conclusion he said he is “not proud or pleased” with.
“I have concluded that we cannot look to Washington or Madison to focus on the needs of the powerless,” Cullen said in the statement. “Washington and Madison care all too much about the moneyed and powerful. I am looking forward to beginning a new stage of public service where I feel that I can better serve the people of southern Wisconsin.”
State Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said in a statement he will miss Cullen as a legislator and friend in government.
“Sen. Cullen’s initiatives on everything from mining to health issues to economic development to education have brought great value and pride to our state,” Barca said in the statement. “We will look forward to his continued leadership and ideas on education and healthcare through private foundations to make a difference in the lives of Wisconsin families.”
Cullen’s decision to retire comes after several other state legislators, including two others involved in the mining bill debate, chose to leave their positions in government.
State Rep. Mark Honadel, R-South Milwaukee, and former state Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, were both primary players in the eventual mining bill that became law last year. Both representatives announced their decisions to leave last month.
