During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and when the state-owned utility Santee Cooper was involved in a failed nuclear plant project that cost billions of dollars and failed to generate any electricity, Setzler played a crucial role, according to Shane Massey, the current Senate Majority Leader.
The veteran Republican committee chairmen who lead the Senate Finance Committee trusted Setzler and he became an important minority voice during budget deliberations.
Setzler boasted about his accomplishments in instituting 4-year-old kindergarten, increasing teacher salaries, constructing new roads and highways to accommodate the state's population boom, and allocating funds for land conservation.
Accolades and prizes have not been the focus of this voyage. "Making a difference has been the focus," Setzler stated in his newspaper article.
After the 2020 US Census, Setzler and Democratic Senator Dick Harpootlian ended up in the same district due to redistricting.
His Republican opponents were also gaining support from his people.
When Setzler was first reelected in 1980, he garnered 66% of the vote. By the time Republicans gained the Senate in 2000, it had dropped to 58%. With 54% of the vote, the attorney was able to secure a 12th term in office.
Upon the departure of North Dakota state senator Ray Holmberg in 2023, Setzler became the longest-serving senator in the nation. A resolution was passed in his honor by Setzler's coworkers.