Bismarck State Rep. Ron Carlisle will not seek re-election after 17 years in the Legislature, the Republican lawmaker told the Tribune this week.

Carlisle, 67, said he's "winding down" after retiring four years ago from his primary job as a nursery owner. He said he expects to spend more time hunting and being involved in politics as a volunteer for friends.

A Bismarck native, Carlisle has been known as an advocate for law enforcement and state employees during his tenure as a legislator. He's taken a hands-on approach, making himself available to constituents and preferring face-to-face and telephone contact over less-personal methods such as e-mail.

"He will be greatly missed by not only me personally, but the state employees and law enforcement community," said Rep. Bob Martinson, R-Bismarck, who has served with Carlisle for 17 years and considers him a close friend. "He's got a big heart and really cares about the legislative process."

Asked to name his biggest accomplishment, Carlisle cites a 2005 plan to get state employees annual 4 percent raises before other budget issues were settled. He said the plan by Bismarck's delegation was unique by going public and trying to grab a hold of the issue before the governor's budget blueprint in his state of the state address.

State employees had endured two years of no raises after the cash-strapped 2003 session.

A graduate of Bismarck State College and Black Hill State University in Spearfish, S.D., Carlisle began his career as an insurance underwriter and policy issuer. He served as a workers compensation commissioner in the early 1980s for what is now Workers Safety and Insurance. In 1986, after a friend introduced him to growing trees, he opened a nursery that he ran until 2003.

He grew up in a Republican family with lots of political discussion around the Sunday evening dinner table. A lifelong interest in politics led him to work on campaigns during the 1980s, serve as sergeant at arms in the Legislature, and eventually run for office himself.

Carlisle lost a 1988 race for state Senate but gained his House seat two years later. He has served on the influential appropriations committee during his tenure.

On the Republican side, at least one name has emerged as a potential replacement for Carlisle.

Mike Nathe, owner of Bismarck Funeral Home and chairman of the District 30 Republicans, said Friday that he's going to be running to replace Carlisle.

Nathe, a 44-year-old Minneapolis native, said he'd like to see more done about North Dakota's property taxes and find a way to give more of the budget surplus back to state residents.

As is typical with the dominoes-like nature of the political game, Nathe said he made his decision last week after hearing that Carlisle wouldn't be seeking re-election.

Jamie Selzler, executive director of the North Dakota Democratic Party, said 20 residents in the district have shown an interest in running as a Democrat for one of the three seats in district 30. Each district has two state representatives and one state senator.

Selzer declined to name the interested parties, saying he didn't want to upstage their own announcements, but called district 30 "a good opportunity for us."

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@;bismarcktribune.com.)