State Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) announced today that she will not seek re-election, bringing to a close a public service career that has spanned three decades.
Sen. Nelson, who has represented communities in Olmsted and Dodge counties since first winning election to the Minnesota Senate in 2010, reflected on her time in office with gratitude.
“Serving the people of Rochester and southeastern Minnesota has been a great privilege and responsibility,” Sen. Nelson said. “Every constituent call, every heartbreaking story, every town hall, every conversation at a local event reminded me of my purpose and who I was there to serve. For many years, the people of this district have given me their trust, and that is a gift I will carry with me. I look forward to new ways to serve.”
Sen. Nelson's career in public service began with a term in the Minnesota House in 2003. She was elected to the Senate in 2010, defeating an incumbent Democrat, and won re-election four consecutive times. In total, she has served more than 6,300 days in the Minnesota Legislature.
Before she was a legislator, Sen. Nelson taught in Rochester and Iowa elementary and middle schools. The daughter of two public school educators herself, she earned a bachelor's degree in special education from Drake University, certification as a reading specialist and a master's degree in teacher leadership from the University of Minnesota. Her experience shaped her priorities throughout her legislative career. As chair of the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee, she often remarked: Education is the great equalizer. Parents are the first and most influential teachers.
Sen. Nelson was a co-author of the legislation creating the Destination Medical Center, a landmark public-private partnership involving the state of Minnesota, the City of Rochester, Olmsted County, and Mayo Clinic designed to secure Minnesota's status as a global destination for healthcare.
Sen. Nelson authored the 2017 bipartisan K-12 education budget, which invested an additional $1.3 billion in Minnesota's public schools and delivered an estimated $320 per-pupil funding increase. She also launched Minnesota's first P-TECH program in Rochester, a partnership between Rochester Public Schools, Rochester Community and Technical College, Mayo Clinic and IBM, giving students a direct path to high-demand careers in health care and technology. The program became a model for similar efforts across the state.
Sen. Nelson wrote the 2018 Safe and Secure Schools Act investing nearly $20 million in school security upgrades statewide, including bulletproof glass, single-point entry systems, and security cameras, while funding school counselors, mental health services, and suicide prevention training for educators.
Sen. Nelson was a persistent advocate for her district's infrastructure priorities. After years of effort, she secured full funding for the four-lane expansion of Highway 14, a long-sought project connecting Rochester to southern Minnesota. She also championed bonding investments that delivered funding for the Rochester International Airport, a new interchange at U.S. Highway 14 and County Road 104, and the final phase of the Chatfield Center for the Arts.
As chair of the Senate Taxes Committee, Sen. Nelson proposed what was at the time the largest tax cut in state history, an $8.5 billion package to reduce income taxes for every Minnesota filer and eliminate the state tax on Social Security benefits. The bill passed the Senate and was adopted with bipartisan support in conference committee, but the House refused to bring it up for a vote in the final hours of the 2022 session.
Sen. Nelson's work extended well beyond education and taxes. After her father received an Alzheimer's diagnosis, she authored the Alzheimer's Research and Support Act, creating a competitive grant program for research and caregiver services. She was the chief author of Minnesota's Tobacco 21 law, which Gov. Walz signed in 2020, to raise the legal purchase age for tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21. She also co-authored the legislation creating the Minnesota State Capitol Preservation Commission in 2011, helping guide the historic building's $310 million restoration.
In 2021, Sen. Nelson wrote and passed legislation that created the Minnesota State Housing Tax Credit, which was recognized in 2025 with a national Special Achievement Award from the National Council of State Housing Agencies for its success in expanding workforce affordable housing.
Sen. Nelson has been recognized by organizations across the political spectrum for her work on behalf of students, small businesses, and public health. She has twice been named a Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business, received the American Cancer Society's Distinguished Advocacy Award, and was recognized by the Minnesota School Boards Association as both Legislator of Distinction and Legislator of the Year.
Sen. Nelson has lived in Rochester with her husband Terry since 1983. They have three children and three grandchildren. She is a member of Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester and over the years has been active in numerous community organizations, including Junior Achievement, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Rochester Network for Re-entry, the Rochester Orchestra and Chorale, and Friends of Mayowood.