State Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, announced Monday that she will not seek re-election in 2016, becoming the third DFL senator in recent weeks to forgo another run for the Minnesota Senate.
According to a news release, she is expected to serve out the rest of her term. A request for an interview was not immediately returned Monday.
Sheran, 68, a nurse who was first elected to the Senate in 2006, chaired the Health, Human Services and Housing Committee. She sponsored legislation that improved the state's child protection system and banned secondhand smoke in bars and restaurants, among other health-related measures.
She also succeeded in passing legislation that changed some nursing requirements, enhanced disciplinary language for boards overseeing health care professionals and expedited interstate licensure for medical doctors.
Sheran joins two other women legislators who have announced retirement plans. They are Sen. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Columbia Heights, and Sen. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada.
Sheran represents a left-leaning district in Mankato, which includes college students and a growing, diverse population. She ran unopposed in 2012.
RICARDO LOPEZ
