Minnesota Senate DFL taps new leader as they embrace majority

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Senate Democrats tapped Minneapolis Sen. Kari Dziedzic to steer their caucus next session, after the DFL wrestled back power from Republicans who have led the chamber the last few years.

Tuesday's election ended Minnesota's divided government and delivered Democrats a trifecta, controlling the House, Senate and governor's office.

"We were elected to move forward and move Minnesota forward," Dziedzic said. "Voters told us they don't want gridlock. They gave us the trifecta."

Her job will be to keep Democrats on the same page as they try to advance progressive proposals like protecting abortion access, passing paid family and medical leave, and giving the green light to recreational marijuana -- all policies that have been floated since the DFL's legislative wins on Tuesday.

With just a one-seat majority, they can't spare a single defector on key votes.

"We are going to need to be unified," she said. "We're going to have those conversations to make sure we can move the bills forward."

The Democrats also chose Sen. Bobby Joe Champion to be the next Senate president. He will need formal approval by all senators in January, but he will make history as the first person of color in Minnesota to serve in that role.

Champion said it's a reflection of the Senate DFL's values.

"When we talk about inclusion and diversity, we should not just have it as a slogan, but it should be represented in every action that we put forward," he said. "It's also, in my opinion, an opportunity for individuals to turn on the TV and see someone else that looks like them as well, and to inspire other folks in order to say, 'You know what, if he can do it from north Minneapolis, then I can do it as well.'"

Senate Republicans on Thursday also elected Sen. Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks to be their new leader. Current Majority Leader Sen. Jeremy Miller didn't seek the role again as the caucus enters next year in the minority. 

The GOP feels the sting of Tuesday's results, but Johnson said Republicans are willing to work with Democrats on issues where they agree but "hold them accountable" to promises they've made, alluding to previous budget agreements from this year that fell apart when negotiations crumbled.

The make-up of the Senate will be 34-33. Republicans have controlled the chamber with a similarly slim majority before.

"We're gonna hold tight. We're gonna be a strong 33," Johnson said. "We've done this for a long time now, for the past six years, so we have a lot of experience with those small margins."

House Democrats again choose Melissa Hortman to be speaker

As the Senate DFL flipped that chamber, House Democrats held onto their majority. Later Thursday, that caucus voted to keep House Speaker Melissa Hortman in her role and elected Rep. Jaime Long to be majority leader and Rep. Athena Hollins to be majority whip.

When asked about priorities, Hortman listed off protecting abortion rights, boosting education funding, approving paid family and medical leave, addressing gun violence and combatting climate change.

There will be 70 Democrats and 64 Republicans when lawmakers reconvene for the 2023 session in early January.

"I think there were two things that were going on in this election. One was a resounding rejection of election deniers. We saw Secretary Simon get more votes than anybody else in the state of Minnesota. And I think that tells you that democracy was on the ballot," Hortman said. "And the other really big motivating issue we heard from voters was protecting reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy."

The House DFL previously passed a recreational marijuana bill last year, but it failed in the Senate. The issue is getting renewed attention because of the change in power.

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who endorsed Gov. Tim Walz's re-election bid, said on a podcast Thursday that Walz reassured him that a bill legalizing cannabis would be "one of the first items that will be passed" next year. Hortman expressed confidence that it would happen next year.

"This caucus supports adult-use cannabis," she said. "I believe we will pass that bill."