Democratic State Representative and St. Cloud resident Larry Haws will not seek re-election this fall for a seat he’s held for five years. The former Stearns County commissioner and St. Cloud city parks director made the announcement on the House floor late Sunday night.

 "I have served the St. Cloud community for 48 years as a teacher and a coach, as the parks and recreation director, as a county commissioner and as a representative," Haws said. "I’m not leaving St. Cloud you understand, I am leaving St. Paul and coming back to St. Cloud so expect to see me as a volunteer on the boards and on the coaching fields working with children.  I will be over at the missions if you want to visit, and I will be loving it to be home and working with the people and the city I love," Haws said.

Colleagues of Haws say his work ethic and amusing personality will be dearly missed. Tuesday, St. Cloud resident and former school board member Carol Lewis filed to be the Democratic candidate on the ballot to fill the seat vacated by Haws. On the republican side, St. Cloud State Economics Professor King Banaian, has already announced plans to run as a Republican for the house seat. The deadline to file for candidacy is June 1st. The primary election will be held August 10th.