By Trisha Ahmed

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota

Department of Health

Commissioner Jan Malcolm,

who faced the difficult task of

managing the COVID-19 pandemic,

will not seek reappointment

to the post, the governor’s

office said Wednesday.

Three other cabinet members

announced they are stepping

down. They are Public

Safety Commissioner John

Harrington, Education Commissioner

Heather Mueller

and Iron Range Resources and

Rehabilitation Commissioner

Mark Phillips.

“Working with Gov. Walz

and his team to help Minnesota

navigate the COVID-19 pandemic

was the most challenging

and meaningful work I’ve done

in my career,” said Malcolm,

who has led the health department

under three different Minnesota

governors.

Malcolm was first appointed

as the state’s health commissioner

from 1999 by former

Gov. Jesse Ventura. Then in

2018, former Gov. Mark Dayton

called on Malcolm to fill a

vacancy by Ed Ehlinger resignation

over criticism of a backlog

of elder abuse complaints.

Malcolm stayed on when Walz

took over in 2019.