Sen. Bob Jauch, the longtime Democratic lawmaker from Poplar, announced today he will not seek re-election.
Jauch is the second Democratic senator to make such an announcement, following in the footsteps of Janesville's Tim Cullen.
For 31 years, Jauch represented a huge district at the tip of the state – one that he described as “geographically isolated.” He estimates he traveled 750,000 miles during that time and was at the center of some of the state's most tumultuous moments, from the controversy over Native American spearfishing to the recent uprising over collective bargaining changes and a bill streamlining iron mining regulations.
“I've reluctantly concluded that I'm worn out and too tired to sustain my commitment over another five years,” said Jauch at a press conference today.
Jauch plans to retire at the end of 2014, a decision prompted in part by his assessment that “representative democracy is on life support.”
“To make it clear, I love this institution and [am] deeply concerned about its demise and its future,” he said.
Jauch says he strongly believes in working out issues despite political differences and regrets how polarized the state has become. He plans to continue working to improve the public dialogue and encourage citizens to be more civically engaged.
“What we need is less of a public that is inflamed and enraged and we need a public that is informed and engaged,” he said. “[Lawmakers] can set that tone by being passionate on issues but trying to rely on facts and demonstrate we are trying to set the bar high in how the democratic process should work.”
Rarely at a loss for words, the often-verbose Jauch joked that committee hearings would be much shorter once he was gone.
His departure likely won't affect control of the Senate. His district leans Democratic but majority Republicans have redrawn legislative maps in their favor.
