First-term Republican State Senator Scott Jensen announced via his Facebook page that he will not be a candidate for office in 2020.
Despite representing Carver County which has been considered one of the more conservative counties in Minnesota, Jensen was considered one of Republicans who is most likely to crossover and vote for positions pushed by Minnesota Democrats.
Early in his short career, Jensen wrote an op-ed for the StarTribune calling for increased government involvement in personal healthcare decisions. Later he again caused controversy by joining Democrats in calling for restrictions of gun rights in Minnesota.
Jensen wrote in an editorial “Do I know if the Senate is a good part-time job for me? Check back in a year, please.” signaling that he might not be a good fit for his district.
Jensen received over 67% of the vote and easily won his election in 2016. The seat is expected to stay Republican in 2020 but no Republican has announced yet to replace Hensen.
