Cullen to Retire at End of Current Term

Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) recently announced that he will not seek another term in the State Senate. He will retire at the end of his current term ending in January 2015.

 In a press release announcing his retirement Cullen says:

I have concluded that it is time to retire from public office and continue to fight for causes I believe in as a private citizen.

I will be forever grateful to the people of the 15th Senate District for placing their trust in me many years ago and again in 2010.

I am confident the people of the 15th Senate District will elect a wonderful person to replace me. 

I came back to Madison in 2011 to try to make a difference in the lives of the people of the 15th Senate District and across Wisconsin. I readily acknowledge that serving in the minority significantly limited my ability to help Wisconsin in ways that I believe would benefit the state.

I believe we are on this earth to give and not to receive. This belief will keep me engaged in several worthy causes that I believe could benefit from my experience.

I am hopeful that during these last sixteen months in the State Senate, when I speak on an issue, people will listen to me as someone who is not trying to attract votes in the next election.

Cullen said he intends to focus his efforts on two foundations he started before he made his return to the State Senate. He also plans on getting involved with several non-profit organizations in Rock County, including HealthNet, a free health clinic in Janesville.

Cullen first served in the Senate in the 1970s and 1980s, and during that tenure in office he served as Senate majority. He then left the Legislature for more than two decades before winning an election in 2010, returning to office just in time for the massive protests over Gov. Walker’s budget repair bill.