DASSEL, MN – State Sen. Steve Dille (R-Dassel) intends to retire, according to a statement from his office.

After a grand total of 33 years of public service, Dille indicated that he won’t seek re-election next year. He was first elected to the Senate in 1992. He previously served in the Minnesota House, where he was first elected in 1986.

On average, Minnesota legislators serve for about ten years. Dille started his public service many years ago as a township supervisor for Dassel Township.

“By the end of next year when my term ends, I will have had the honor and privilege of serving my constituents and the State of Minnesota at the Capitol for 24 years. Effective at the end my current term, I will be stepping down from my role as your state senator and will not seek re-election in 2010,” Dille noted.

“I have been fortunate enough to spend much of my adult life serving the people surrounding me. I entered elected office in 1977, serving as the Dassel Township supervisor. I then held a seat on the Board of Meeker County commissioners from 1984 until my first term in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1986. After my first stint in state politics, I ran for the Minnesota State Senate in 1992, where I have been protecting the interests of my constituents and the state at large for over seventeen years. The time I have spent in public office has been extremely fulfilling and has greatly enriched my life.”

“I would like to thank all of you for the tremendous amount of support you have given me over my years as an elected official. While looking forward to my retirement, I will miss the opportunity I have been given to serve my community. It has been a pleasure representing your needs and an honor serving each of you during my 33 years of service.

Dille says he is looking forward to his last session which starts Feb. 4, 2010. “I will keep working hard to find solutions to the issues that face my constituents and my state. If you have any ideas you would like to share with me, please contact me so I can continue to represent your best interests during my final year in office.”

District 18 includes all of Meeker and McLeod counties, plus the following area in Wright County: the cities of Howard Lake, Cokato, and Annandale; and townships of French Lake, Middleville, South Haven, Southside, and Stockholm.