State Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings, a surfing legend and one of the state's leading conservatives, will not run for re-election next year.

Hemmings, 63, yesterday said he plans to pursue business projects, do more public speaking engagements and spend time with his family. He said his decision to leave politics was influenced in part by the frustration of being a Republican in a state Legislature dominated by majority Democrats and by the indictment of his wife this year on felony theft charges.

Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), is one of two Republicans in the 25-member state Senate. Six Republicans serve in the 51-member House.

"It's nice to have a turnover in the political process, I believe," he said.

Jonah Ka'auwai, the state GOP chairman, said Hemmings is an inspiration for many younger Republicans.

"It's a massive loss to all of the people of the state of Hawai'i, not just his constituency," Ka'auwai said. "We'll be losing institutional knowledge as well as historical knowledge.

"Fred, I don't look at him as a politician. For guys like myself, he's kind of like the inspiration."

Hemmings, who was born in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School, won the World Surfing Championship in 1968 and was a pioneer in marketing the sport internationally. The avid waterman also was a champion canoe paddler.

Hemmings served in the state House from 1984 to 1990 and was elected to the Senate in 2000. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1990 and lieutenant governor in 1994.

The senator said one of his biggest accomplishments was working with Gov. Linda Lingle and President Bush to establish the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the largest marine conservation area in the United States.

But Hemmings has often found that his ideas do not advance in a Legislature controlled by Democrats. The senator is an advocate for environmental protection and renewable energy and, while conservative on most social and economic issues, he has supported higher taxes on cigarettes to finance cancer research and other programs.

"It's very frustrating how partisan and one-sided and monopolistic the one-party system is at the Legislature," he said.

The senator was also disappointed by the indictment of his wife, Lydia Hemmings, on felony theft charges in May related to her past work for the nonprofit Blueprint for Change. She has pleaded not guilty.

"The situation with my wife has made things awfully difficult, that's the honest answer," he said.

Hemmings' early announcement will give both parties nearly a year to draft candidates for the open seat.

Justin Menolascino, the executive director of the state GOP, said the party is confident it can hold the traditionally Republican district. "We have prospects but nobody has announced," he said.

Brian Schatz, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, said there is no obvious front-runner on the Democratic side. "This race is wide open," he said.