John Kriesel won't seek re-election

Republican Rep. John Kriesel announced on KFAN on Thursday morning that he won't seek another term in the House.

"At this time, this is the best decision for my family," he says. You can read more at Politics in Minnesota.

Star Tribune editorial writer and columnist Lori Sturdevant tweets "Kriesel's letter didn't say so, but it's become much tougher to be a maverick at the Legislature. Too tough, I'd say."

Kriesel has been one of few Republican legislators to openly oppose a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. "It's often hard to stand up against a group of people who you may be close with or stand up for something that might not be popular, but it's the right thing to do," he says in a speech as he looks back on his military service:

Lavendar Magazine named Kriesel its Person of the Year in 2011.

Kriesel lost both legs and nearly died after a roadside bomb exploded in Iraq. He wrote a book about his experience, "Still Standing: The Story of SSG John Kriesel." (It gets excellent reviews on Amazon.)

You can follow Kriesel on Twitter. Supporters are sharing farewells on Facebook.