Alice Johnson is the sixth woman not seeking reelection to the Senate this year.

The DFLer from Blaine announced Wednesday she would not run again, noting she has just turned 75 and feels "proud of my accomplishments and … hopeful for the future of Minnesota."

Johnson has been in the legislature for 18 years. She was elected to the House in 1986, retired in 2000, and ran for the Senate in 2012 on a vow, she said, "to end gridlock … and get things done by encouraging reasonable cooperation across the aisle."

Other female senators not seeking reelection in 2016 are Katie Sieben of New Hope, Barb Goodwin of Columbia Heights, Bev Scalze of Little Canada, Kathy Sheran of Mankato and Julianne Ortman of Chanhassen. All are DFLers except Ortman, who is Republican.

If the outgoing senators aren't replaced by other women, only 17 of the Senate's 67 members would be female, reversing recent gains in gender parity.

Johnson is vice chair of both the Education Finance and Policy Committees. In her announcement, the senator touted her advocacy for educating students and closing the achievement gap and called for the implementation of programs such as The Rock and Read Project and investment in Full Service Community Schools. She described some of her biggest accomplishments as working to raise the minimum wage, implement all-day kindergarten statewide, and raise awareness of the importance of eye exams for new students.