One of the leading Democrats in the state Senate announced at a news conference this morning he will not run for re-election.
State Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) had said recently that he hadn’t yet made up his mind to run for a seventh term, but had said that there are reasons for him to call it a day and not run again.
Jauch scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference in the Capitol to “discuss the 2014 election.”
Just last week, the 69-year-old said if he were to run again, he would serve the entire four-year-term. He has said his age is a factor and said if he were not going to run again, he’d make an early announcement.
He still has 15 months to serve in his term.
Jauch began his career in the state Assembly 31 years ago, and was elected Senator in 1986 when the treaty rights spearfishing controversy was becoming white hot on northern boat landings. He would leave as a proposed iron ore mine in his district is also extremely contentious, an ironic bookend of treaty rights and environmental issues for his career.
Jauch says he is not anti-mining but very much against the proposed Penokee Range mine by Gogebic Taconite in Ashland and Iron counties.
He will join fellow veteran Democratic state Senator Tim Cullen of Janesville who also just announced he isn’t running for re-election.
