ST. PAUL, Minn. – Today, the new Senate DFL majority elected Senator Kari Dziedzic (Minneapolis) to lead the Caucus when the Legislature returns to the Capitol in January, 2023.
The Caucus also elected Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (Minneapolis) as President, Sen. John Marty (Roseville) as Finance Chair, and Sen. Ann Rest (New Hope) as Tax Chair. Assistant leaders will be announced soon.
Thursday’s election of the new leaders took place just two days after Minnesotans voted to make the DFL the majority party in the State Senate. The new leaders said voters chose a Senate DFL majority and the new majority is ready to lead and will work with Governor Tim Walz and the House DFL majority to get things done for Minnesota.
“I’m honored to have earned the trust of my colleagues in the DFL caucus to serve as majority leader,” said Sen. Dziedzic. “I’m also grateful to the people of Minnesota for delivering a DFL majority and we plan to use that majority to lead on behalf of Minnesotans in every corner of our state. Together with our colleagues in the House DFL majority and Governor Walz, we will now get to work to deliver an agenda that moves Minnesota forward.”
Sen. Dziedzic said the incoming Senate DFL Majority is the most diverse Senate caucus in Minnesota history, including the youngest woman member elected, the first Muslim woman elected, the first Black women elected, and the the first majority-woman Caucus. She said the caucus gained three new Senators from Greater Minnesota, advancing our goal of increasing representation throughout greater and rural Minnesota.
In addition to the new leaders, the new majority caucus includes Senators Liz Boldon (Rochester), Jim Carlson (Eagan), Steve Cwodzinski (Eden Prairie), Scott Dibble (Minneapolis), Omar Fateh (Minneapolis), Nick Frentz (Mankato), Heather Gustafson (Vadnais Heights), Grant Hauschild (Hermantown), Foung Hawj (St. Paul), John Hoffman (Champlin), Matt Klein (Mendota Heights), Mary Kunesh (New Brighton), Rob Kupec (Moorhead), Ron Latz (St. Louis Park), Alice Mann (Edina), Erin Maye Quade (Apple Valley), Jen McEwen (Duluth), Nicole Mitchell (Woodbury), Zaynab Mohamed (Minneapolis), Kelly Morrison (Deephaven), Erin Murphy (St. Paul), Clare Oumou Verbeten (St. Paul), Sandy Pappas (St. Paul), Susan Pha (Brooklyn Park), Lindsey Port (Burnsville), Aric Putnam (St. Cloud), Judy Seeberger (Afton), Bonnie Westlin (Plymouth), Melissa Wiklund (Bloomington), Tou Xiong (Maplewood)
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