Embattled state Sen. Chris Gerlach announced Monday that he will not seek re-election.
Sen. Gerlach signals his plans to retire
Amid controversy over "right to work" ties, he says he won't seek re-election.
March 13, 2012 at 2:37AM
The Republican from Apple Valley has been under fire for taking money from a special interest group through his bulk-mail business at the same time as he was supporting the group's issue -- the "right to work" constitutional amendment -- in the Legislature.
Two days after a GOP colleague blasted Gerlach for the apparent conflict, he made no mention of the controversy when he broke the news to fellow Republicans on Monday evening. He said it was time to focus on his family and his job.
"It's something every legislator who has a family has to think about: earning a living," Gerlach said Monday night as he emerged from the GOP caucus meeting. "This is the sort of job that's easy to do if you're really young or if you're retired, but if you're in your 30s and 40s, and you have a family to support, it's tough."
Over the weekend, Common Cause Minnesota was calling for Gerlach to disclose the client list of his direct-mail company, Capitol Direct.
"Legislators and the public deserve to know whose interests Senator Gerlach may be representing," said Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota. "This business arrangement between a lobbying group and the Senator creates an appearance of corruption."
Gerlach said he'd been thinking about leaving the Legislature, where he's served for the past 14 years, since at least the 2010 election cycle. That year, Republicans won control of the Senate for the first time in nearly four decades.
"Getting in the majority here made it all worth it," said Gerlach, who served as assistant majority leader until a GOP leadership shakeup earlier this year.
He is the seventh member of the Senate GOP caucus to announce that he will not seek re-election.
Gerlach faced criticism from both caucuses for his business ties with Freedom Fund, a political group that supports the "right to work" amendment he has pushed in the Senate. The group hired his bulk mailing company to print and mail leaflets targeting members of his own caucus who have been less supportive of the measure.
"While serving in the Legislature is truly an honor and privilege, the family and financial sacrifices are great," he said in a statement. "Now is the time to reassess my personal priorities."
Gerlach, who chairs the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, has been a reliably conservative voice in the Senate, always favoring budget reductions over raising taxes.
Gerlach said he plans to remain active in his community and in Republican Party politics.
Jennifer Brooks • 651-925-5049
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