Trailblazing DFL lawmakers Karen Clark and Susan Allen won't seek re-election in 2018

Karen Clark is the longest-serving openly lesbian legislator in the nation, while Susan Allen was the first Native American woman elected to the Minnesota Legislature. On Friday, both pioneering Minneapolis representatives said they don’t plan to seek re-election to the Minnesota House in 2018.

“I got elected the same day as Ronald Reagan, by the way,” Clark, now serving her 19th term, said at a press conference announcing the two lawmakers' retirements on Friday. “I was young and I thought we could change things overnight and that was a real wakeup call.”

https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2017/12/trailblazing-dfl-lawmakers-karen-clark-and-susan-allen-wont-seek-re-election