After adjourning in the wee hours of Thursday morning, the Minnesota House of Representatives plunged ahead with the bittersweet biennial ritual of retirement speeches from departing members.

Last Saturday GOP activists gathered in Burnsville to determine who would be the endorsed candidate in House District 56A. No incumbent is running for re-election in the district, which leans heavily Republican.

In 2010 Republicans often touted the recruitment of Securian executive Pat Mazorol as evidence of the strength of their recruiting class. But after just one term in the House, Mazorol is not running for re-election.

A slew of former DFL and GOP legislators announced campaigns for House and Senate districts this week, including Carrie Ruud, a former Republican senator from Breezy Point, former DFL Rep. David Bly of Northfield, former DFL Sen. Kevin Dahle and former DFL Rep. Paul Rosenthal.

Wednesday, House Republicans finished a major bit of business left on the table when the 2011 session expired, passing four tort law bills favored by the state’s business lobby.