Sen. Mee Moua unexpectedly announces retirement

Sen. Mee Moua, the first person of Hmong descent to serve in the Minnesota Legislature, announced on the Senate floor today that she is retiring. The three-term St. Paul legislator had not previously made public her plan to step down from the Legislature.

“I thank you so much for the honor and privilege of having served with all of you in this great institution,” Moua said, invoking her roots as a refugee from Laos.

Moua was initially elected in 2002 after beating out state Rep. Tim Mahoney for the DFL endorsement in a district that skews heavily Democratic. She was twice re-elected by overwhelming margins.

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