State Sen. Tim Cullen Of Janesville Won’t Seek Re-Election

State Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) has announced that he won’t seek re-election next year, saying there is no longer compromise in state government.

For Cullen, this was a second go-round in the legislature, having previously served in the State Senate from 1975 to 1986. When he came back in 2011, he was thrust almost immediately into the battle over Act 10 where he encountered a Republican governor unwilling to budge and a Democratic base unhappy with him for trying to negotiate a deal.

Cullen says people compromise every day in the real world, but not in government.

“It’s the way people lead their lives, except in the state Capitol,” he says. “You come to Madison and ‘compromise’ is a borderline four-letter word. It means that you’re a RINO if you’re a Republican or a sellout if you’re a Democrat or whatever.”

Cullen blames gerrymandered legislative districts for the lack of compromise. As long as most districts are not competitive, he says there’s no incentive for lawmakers from different parties to work together.

“You draw these maps this way and all someone has to worry about is a primary from the right if they’re a Republican or a primary from the left if they’re a Democrat,” he says.

Cullen says he plans to resume working on two foundations he helped start before his latest stint in the legislature, one a high school internship program, the other a scholarship for students of color who commit to coming back to Janesville to teach in the school district.