U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn., Friday afternoon announced he would not be running for governor in 2018.
"After much thought and consideration with my wife Mary, friends, and family, I have decided not to run for governor of Minnesota," Nolan said in a news release. "The challenges and consequences of the issues facing our Nation in Washington are too important for me to walk away from at this time."
While he received encouragement to run, Nolan said, he felt compelled to fight against "powerful elements determined to roll back a century of American progress."
"To defeat them, first and foremost, we need to change the way we do politics," Nolan said. "It is imperative that we put an end to the toxic special interest money that is poisoning our campaigns and destroying people's confidence in our government. The very survival of our democracy is at stake."
Nolan went on to thank those who had encouraged him to run, and his constituents.
