Carla Nelson retires from Senate

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Carla Nelson announced on Tuesday she would be resigning from her senate seat. She has served in the legislature serving Dodge and parts of Olmsted County since 2010.

The filing period is underway for the 2026 state and county elections, and one name that won’t be on the ballot is state Sen. Carla Nelson, a Republican lawmaker who has represented part of Olmsted County and Dodge County since 2010.
She announced her retirement last week in a press release.
“Serving the people of Rochester and southeastern Minnesota has been a great privilege and responsibility,” Nelson said. “Every constituent call, every heartbreaking story, every town hall, every conversation at a local event reminded me of my purpose and who I was there to serve. For many years, the people of this district have given me their trust, and that is a gift I will carry with me. I look forward to new ways to serve.”
Her career began in 2003, when she was elected to the Minnesota House. She served three terms before defeating an incumbent state Senate Democrat, and won re-election four consecutive times.
Before entering politics, she taught in Rochester and Iowa schools.
Career Accomplishments
Nelson pointed to her role as co-author of the legislation that created the Destination Medical Center, “a landmark public-private partnership involving the state of Minnesota, the City of Rochester, Olmsted County and Mayo Clinic, designed to secure Minnesota’s status as a global destination for healthcare.
“Sen. Nelson authored the 2017 bipartisan K-12 education budget, which invested an additional $1.3 billion in Minnesota’s public schools and delivered an estimated $320 per-pupil funding increase,” her announcement release read. “She also launched Minnesota’s first P-TECH program in Rochester, a partnership between Rochester Public Schools, Rochester Community and Technical College, Mayo Clinic and IBM, giving students a direct path to high-demand careers in health care and technology. The program became a model for similar efforts across the state.”
In 2018, she wrote the Safe and Secure Schools Act, investing nearly $20 million in school security upgrades statewide, including bulletproof glass, single-point entry systems, and security cameras, while funding school counselors, mental health services and suicide prevention training for educators.
The release also stated Nelson was a “persistent advocate for her district’s infrastructure priorities.
“After years of effort, she secured full funding for the four-lane expansion of Highway 14, a long-sought project connecting Rochester to southern Minnesota,” the release continues. “She also championed bonding investments that delivered funding for the Rochester International Airport, a new interchange at U.S. Highway 14 and County Road 104, and the final phase of the Chatfield Center for the Arts.”
Nelson was recognized by organizations across the political spectrum for her work on behalf of students, small businesses and public health.
“She has twice been named a Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business, received the American Cancer Society’s Distinguished Advocacy Award, and was recognized by the Minnesota School Boards Association as both Legislator of Distinction and Legislator of the Year,” the release stated.
The Race is On
With Nelson retiring, it means there will be a new senator for District 24 come next year.
Simon Glaser, a Rochster school teacher, had previously announced his intent to run in the DFL primary.
“Have you heard the news? Senator Carla Nelson announced her retirement yesterday! This is huge, and we have a real opportunity to begin a new generation of leadership for District 24,” he wrote in a Facebook post last week. “One who will listen to every constituent and give them the representation they deserve. I’ve spent my career advocating for students, educators and our community, and I will keep doing that as your next Senator in St. Paul.”
On Monday morning, former Mantorville Mayor Chuck Bradford announced his plan to run.
«I am running for Senate because I believe our state has too often been the focus of bad publicity. Minnesota is a beautiful state with many great resources; our state’s leaders need to get the fraud and waste under control, provide complete transparency to the voters and promote our state’s greatest values,” he wrote in a press release.
“Our leaders need to do better and with my experience as mayor, I know I can be effective from day one. I have learned from being mayor how to promote our resource base, eliminate waste and increase the efficiency of government.”