Minnesota state Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls, has announced that he will not be seeking re-election this year. In a Thursday news release, Dahms said he will be stepping down at the end of his Senate term.

“When I first ran for the Minnesota Senate, I said that when I was elected, I would serve 10 years. This year will be my 16th year. After careful consideration and discussion with my family, I’ve decided not to seek reelection when my term ends in 2026. I believe it’s time to give others the opportunity to serve in the Senate. Representing the people of Senate District 15, southwest Minnesota, and the entire state has been an honor,” Dahms said.

Senate District 15 includes Lac qui Parle, Yellow Medicine, Lyon, Redwood and Brown Counties, as well as portions of Chippewa and Blue Earth Counties.

Dahms is the second state senator in southwest Minnesota to announce he is not seeking re-election this year. Last week, Sen. Bill Weber, R-Luverne, also announced that he would not be running again. Weber, who represents Senate District 21, was first elected in 2012.

On Thursday afternoon, Marshall area resident Braxton Seifert announced on Facebook that he will be running for Minnesota Senate in District 15. Seifert had previously served as Dahms’ campaign manager.

As a senator, Dahms served in leadership roles in the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee, the Agriculture and Rural Economies Committee, the Education Finance Committee, and the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus Personnel Committee.

The news release said among Dahms’ achievements were authoring a bill for a statewide reinsurance program that became a model for other states; increasing funding for rural nursing homes and assisted living facilities; securing bonding funds for wastewater infrastructure in several small rural communities; and helping establish an agricultural education degree program at Southwest Minnesota State University.

“As a senator, I have focused on finding practical solutions to the problems facing Minnesota families, businesses, and local government units. It has been an honor and a pleasure to represent our shared values. In my final legislative session, I will fight for the commonsense policies that Minnesotans deserve and expect from their government,” Dahms said.