First Hmong State Senator Mee Moua Shocks Capitol With Retirement!

May 16, 2010
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Marty Owings

Senator Mee Moua surprised everyone today with the announcement that she will be retiring from the Senate. Moua is the Chair of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee and widely seen as someone whose poltical career was far from over. Rep Cy Thao who is also retiring from office, is the only other Hmong-American to hold office in Minnesota. Thao said Moua, "helped shape the state and it's policies. Thao said people who want to get involved in politics could learn from Moua's example and his own. Thao said he came from a refugee camp where he lived on dirt floors and didn't learn his first word of english until he was 8 years old.

Here is Senator Mee Moua's full statement on her retirement.

My life has afforded me the opportunity to see the best of what Minnesota has to offer.  Serving in the Minnesota Senate has given me the opportunity to have experiences and break down barriers that I never could have imagined. 

Over the last nine years I have been blessed to be surrounded by an extraordinary group of staff, supporters and colleagues - all of whom gave me the strength and inspiration to keep fighting for Minnesota's future.  I will always treasure their partnership and I am forever grateful to my supporters for allowing me to stand on their shoulders as I have realized the greatest honor of my life - serving the people of Saint Paul's East Side and the state of Minnesota. 

Above all - I am humbled by the sacrifices my family has made in support of my commitment to public service, sacrifices that were amplified by the recent loss of my mother-in-law.  Their love, support, and sacrifices made these ten years possible.  I want the next decade to be about my family and my children's future. 

The time has come to start a new chapter in my life - one that puts my family first. It is with this new focus that I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the Senate.