LACROSSE, Wis. – After 33 years in Congress, Ron Kind said he’s run out of gas and won’t seek re-election. The announcement, in addressing a class at Roosevelt Elementary School, was unexpected. His Third Congressional District includes 19 western Wisconsin counties. Before going to Washington he was a state prosecutor in LaCrosse. In announcing his retirement, Kind touted his achievements in Congress. These included expanding access to healthcare and his work on conservation. Kind, a Democrat, has prided himself on working across the aisle on major issues. “I’ve been proud to be one of the most bipartisan members of Congress,” Kind said. He acknowledged, however, that the extreme partisanship of recent years made him a “relic” in Congress. Kind voted twice to impeach President Trump.
Kind. His 2020 victory in Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District was his last. He’s retiring at age 58.