Erik Paulsen: I Won't Run for Al Franken's U.S. Senate Seat or MN Governor in 2014

U.S. Sen. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) said in a statement Monday that he will not run for another office than the one he holds in 2014.

With his Facebook posting, Paulsen takes him out of consideration as a Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Al Franken or Gov. Mark Dayton, both DFL Party members up for re-election that year:

"After thinking carefully about how I can best help my fellow Minnesotans, I have decided to not seek election for a different office in 2014. If the people of the Third Congressional District will allow me, I hope to continue my work in the U.S. House of Representatives, where I can be most effective, in the years ahead.

The warm encouragement from many people to run for U.S. senator or the governorship was deeply humbling. However, it is clear to me that the House is currently where I can best represent the people of my district and state. I have never run for office to be someone. Rather I have wanted to do good things.

Since my first campaign, I have criticized Congress as a broken institution. I have never shied away from pointing out my own party’s failings in what is the mess known as Washington. After more than four years as a Minnesotan serving in Congress, I find the partisanship to be still deeply frustrating. But I see my job as trying to solve problems—not just decry them, much less perpetuate them. We have made important progress on critical issues like my bipartisan effort to repeal the job-killing medical device tax, which hits Minnesota very hard. Continuing work like that requires my full attention in the House."