ST. PAUL — Former state lawmaker and longtime Republican activist Allen Quist said he wants to return to the Minnesota Legislature.

Quist said in a news release Friday he’ll run for the House seat vacated by Terry Morrow, a St. Peter Democrat who resigned shortly after winning reelection.

Quist lost to U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in November. The conservative former college professor is a longtime participant in Minnesota politics: in 1994, he snatched the GOP endorsement away from sitting Gov. Arne Carlson, only to lose to Carlson in a primary. He served in the state House from 1983 to 1989.

Democrats Robin Courrier and Karl Johnson are running for the seat, which covers Nicollet County and parts of Mankato. Tim Gieseke plans an Independence Party bid. Gov. Mark Dayton has not yet called a special election.