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The Associated Press
St. Paul

Sharp-tongued Democratic Rep. Winkler to resign, move abroad

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Rep. Ryan Winkler
DFLer Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley
Tim Pugmire | MPR News 2012

Updated: 10:50 a.m. | Posted: 10:30 a.m.

A Minnesota Democratic legislator known for speeches that poke at Republican rivals and sometimes members of his own party said Thursday he will give up his seat in the state House as his family moves abroad.

Fifth-term Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley said he will resign this summer and move to Brussels. The Harvard-educated lawyer said his wife, Jenny, landed a new executive position with an international hotel chain that is owned by a Minnesota company.

His seat in comfortably Democratic territory will be subject to a special election, and the outcome won't alter the Legislature's Republican majority for the next year.

When Democrats had the House majority, Winkler sponsored legislation that raised Minnesota's minimum wage to an eventual $9.50 per hour. He's also outspoken on campaign finance matters, arguing that the system has gotten worse as more untraceable money filters in.

In the Legislature, Winkler revels in jabbing Republicans with unrelenting, sharp-tongued rhetoric.

"I'm going to miss things like passing the minimum wage increase far more than I'm going to miss the back and forth in the Legislature," Winkler told The Associated Press, adding that his wife's opportunity was too big to pass up. "I'd rather have a great experience with my family than argue with Republicans all day."

His penchant for a good zinger sometimes got the best of him. Winkler apologized in 2013, for a tweet criticizing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as "Uncle Thomas" that drew national attention and cries of racism. He said it wasn't intended to be racially derogatory.

House Minority Leader Paul Thissen said Winkler's "impatience with injustice" will be missed most.

"He is always willing to take on the tough fights and not back down," Thissen said in a prepared statement.

Winkler's family, which includes three boys who are age 10 and younger, will move as his wife becomes senior vice president and general counsel for Rezidor Hotel Group. Winkler said he intends to keep his non-legislative job at a Minnesota biotechnology firm, but will split his time between Minnesota and Belgium.

Winkler said the relocation isn't permanent, and that he could return to Minnesota's political scene later.

"I would not expect this is an end to anything," he said.