On the heels of the retirement of Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, area residents are looking to find a candidate willing to work in Madison’s “partisan environment.”

For many possible candidates, Wisconsin’s polarized Legislature will be a deterrent from making any change, Cullen said in a statement on his retirement.

Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Ft. Atkinson, rumored to be a possible candidate, said he is aware of this, should he decide to run.

“In Madison, things are pretty gridlocked, but in my career, I still have found a way to get something done,” Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen added he has written bills that passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support, something he plans to continue if he runs.

“It’s not an extreme or polarizing approach, but it’s trying to find that middle ground and find what we can work on,” Jorgensen said. “Find those and get them done together.”

Currently, Jorgensen said he is talking to staff, constituents and his family before making any official announcement on his intentions.

Jorgensen said he does not have an exact timeline for when he will announce if he intends to run.

“The district I serve now is one I enjoy serving, made up of working people like farmers, so this is something I enjoy doing,” Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen said Cullen has always been an honest person, a quality he and Cullen’s constituents appreciate.

However, Cullen said working again in the private sector at two foundations at which he has previously worked would be a more productive way to help others.

“I am not proud of or pleased by the fundamental conclusion I have reached: that I can make a bigger difference in my community as a private citizen than I can in the ugly political environment we see now in Wisconsin government,” Cullen said.

Legislators from both sides of the aisle released statements commending Cullen on his efforts throughout his years at both the Assembly and Senate, including Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Greendale; and Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee.

However, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, did address Cullen’s unhappiness with the political environment.

“In his announcement, Sen. Cullen cited the importance of making sure through competitive elections that elected leaders remain responsive to the people while current redistricting has skewed the system to encourage the extremism we have been witnessing on vital issues from mining to education,” Barca said in a statement.

The environment in Madison, while disagreeable to Cullen, is coming at a time of great political participation for Wisconsin residents, Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen said he feels confident that with this participation, the extreme atmosphere will change.

“This is a moment in time we can change things around and change the polarizing atmosphere,” Jorgensen said. “People more than ever are paying attention to what we do in the Capitol, it’s on their minds and they are getting vocal with it.”

As of press time, no other possible candidates have been reported.

Calls to Cullen’s office were not returned.