Sen. Dave Thompson not running for re-election

Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, is not running for re-election this year, ending a six-year Senate career.

An attorney and former talk radio host, he used those skills as a practiced communicator in the upper chamber. He ran for governor in 2014 but did not win the GOP nomination.

In a statement, Thompson said he was moving to Charlotte, N.C., at the end of his current term, where he will open a new office for Renters Warehouse. He is currently vice president and general counsel for the company.

"Serving in the Minnesota Senate has been an honor and a privilege," he said in the statement. "I was in awe the day I entered the Capitol to take my oath of office for the first time, and I have never taken for granted the faith and trust placed in me by my constituents."