From Poetry to ‘A Tremendous Life’: Rest, Limmer Bid Farewell to Legislative Careers

They are among the longest-serving legislators in Minnesota history. They also happened to represent suburbs near each other.

Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, and Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, both of whom are stepping away from elected office, reflected on their decades of legislative service on Monday.

Rest served 42 years, both in the state House and Senate, placing her in the top 10 for longest-serving legislators in state history.

“As I was sitting here listening to the speeches, I wished I had run a whole lot later, so that my farewell speech could have come a whole lot earlier,” said Rest, drawing laughter in the Minnesota Senate chamber.

Rest, who represented Crystal, Golden Valley, New Hope, Robbinsdale and parts of Plymouth, was first elected to the Senate in 2000. 

The longtime senator read three poems during her farewell speech. One poem she mentioned reading before as a tribute to the late Sen. Kari Dziedzic: “The Road Home” by Minnesota poet Michael Dennis Browne. Another poem Rest read was “A Tree Telling of Orpheus” by Denise Levertov. Rest ended with another poem by Browne titled “Now We Belong.”

Rest recently told CCX News she plans to spend her retirement as a teacher.

Sen. Ann Rest joked in the Minnesota Senate chamber about being one of the last speakers during her farewell speech.

‘A Tremendous Life’

Sen. Warren Limmer gave Minnesota 38 years of legislative service, placing him at No. 20 in state history for time served. Limmer was first elected to the state Senate in 1995.

“Well this is the last day. We had some laughs and we’ve seen some tears,” reflected Limmer. “My favorite quote is from Hubert Humphrey, said ‘A man without tears is a man without a heart.’ And we sometimes in modern life forget that we are emotional beings as well.”

Limmer said he got interested in politics as a little boy hearing political discussions from his parents, who he remembered telling him to stay quiet as they listened to the “Huntley-Brinkley Report.”

Recalling his early foray into politics, Limmer said his first campaign he helped on was 1978 by former Governor Al Quie. He ran for Senate for the first time in 1986, but lost to Tad June, a Democrat at the time who later became Republican.

Limmer was elected to the Minnesota House in 1988, serving in the legislature ever since.

“I’m looking at that board and I am shocked that I’ve been here this long. Maybe you are too,” smiled Limmer during his farewell speech.

Of his 38 years in elected office, Limmer said he was only in the majority six of those years. 

Despite often serving in the minority, Limmer called the role “vitally important,” explaining that “when we write law, we are writing good law and balanced law.” 

Limmer spoke of good working relationships he had with Democrats, something he said he took pride in. 

“It’s something I think we’re losing,” said Limmer on the current state of politics. “I don’t know if need social events to bring us together on neutral ground. But we need something because we’re now coming together as two warring tribes every six months.”

Hitting home the point, Limmer recalled the time he survived a heart attack in 2017. Upon returning to the legislature, Limmer remembered being welcomed back by Sen. Tom Bakk, a Democrat, whom he remembered saying, “They don’t pay us enough to hate each other.”

Limmer called his tenure in the legislature “a tremendous life,” crediting his wife and children for allowing him to do what he loved.

Sen. Warren Limmer recalls running for office for the first time during farewell speech.

Related: Sen. Limmer on Retirement: ‘We’re All Temporary’

Crystal | Golden Valley | Maple Grove | New Hope | Osseo | Plymouth | Robbinsdale