Larsen Won't Seek Re-Election to State Senate

Concord's state Senator, Sylvia Larsen, has announced that she won't seek re-election, according to a statement sent out by Gene Martin, Democratic Caucus Director of the Office of the Senate Democratic Leader. 

Larsen said after 20 years, it was time to spend more time with her family. 

“I have decided to finish my time in this beautiful chamber of the Senate and not run for re-election," she noted. "I have served for 20 years and look forward to spending more time with a law graduate son in Portland, a newly-married daughter who just moved back to Concord with our new son-in-law, and a retired husband who loves to explore. I still love what can be accomplished through political involvement and I plan to stay involved, just not as a candidate this election. I believe the Senate Democrats are in a strong place to return to the majority after this election and I look forward to seeing a Democratic Senate President when the 2015 session begins."

Larsen said she was proud of a number of legislative accomplishments including statewide universal access to public kindergarten, the implementation of an education funding plan, and strong domestic violence laws. She was first elected in 1994 and was Senate President between 2006 and 2010. 

In a statement, Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, said she was proud to serve with her in the state Senate where she championed "important causes critical to the well-being" of the residents of New Hampshire. 

“Senate Democratic Leader Sylvia Larsen has long been a champion for her district and our state, dedicated to supporting middle class families and keeping New Hampshire’s economy moving forward," Hassan noted. "Just this past year, her leadership was critical to the passage of the New Hampshire Paycheck Fairness Act and our historic, bipartisan health care expansion plan, as she worked across party lines to help strengthen the financial security and health of hard-working Granite State families."

Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, who said he had known Larsen for about 35 years, called her an amazing public servant.