Sen. Claire Robling, a 16-year Republican from Jordan, on Friday joined the list of legislators announcing their retirement.
"I find my enthusiasm for doing this job for another four years is waning," Robling said in a statement. "I think it's time to let someone else step into this spot."
She also expressed frustration with what she viewed as the increased bickering between DFLers and Republicans at the state Capitol. "I fear that statesmen are vanishing as partisanship deepens," she said.
In December, following a major shakeup among the Senate Republican majority, Robling was named an assistant majority leader. The action came after then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch resigned her leadership role amid allegations she had an affair with a high-ranking Senate Republican staff member.
Robling's departure is the latest for the Senate GOP, which only a year ago gained a majority in the Senate for the first time in more than a generation.
The departures include other long-time senators and former members of the Senate GOP leadership team. Among them are Sen. Chris Gerlach, R-Apple Valley, who had served in the Senate since 2004, and Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, who was criticized for his role in investigating the Koch scandal.
