Erin Murphy elected Minnesota Senate majority leader following Kari Dziedzic's departure
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Just days before the 2024 legislative session is set to start, a new leader is taking the reins at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Sen. Erin Murphy, D-St. Paul, was elected Tuesday afternoon by the DFL Senate Caucus. She is taking over the leadership role following last week's announcement that Sen. Kari Dziedzic was stepping down.
RELATED: Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic to step down, citing return of cancer
Dziedzic was diagnosed with ovarian cancer early last year and underwent a hysterectomy, splenectomy and appendectomy. She announced Friday that her cancer had returned, and she is "facing some serious challenges."
Murphy served 12 years in the Minnesota House and ran for governor in 2018.
"I am honored by the vote of my Senate colleagues, and I'm committed to working with all the members of the diverse DFL Caucus to serve the people of Minnesota wherever they live," Murphy said. "In the coming months, following the example set by leader Dziedzic, we will continue our work building on what we accomplished in the 2023 legislative session to meet Minnesotans where they are at, and to improve their lives."
Murphy was elected to the Senate four years ago where she is the chair of the Veterans Committee. She also serves on the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee.
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Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman David Hann said in part that Murphy's election should be a warning sign to Minnesotans.
"Murphy's radical agenda includes supporting abortion up to the moment of the birth, the abolition of ICE, making Minnesota a 'Sanctuary State,' voting for nearly every tax increase proposed by Democrats in St. Paul, and attacking a fellow DFL senator for his criticism of anti-Israeli terrorism," Hann said.
Democrats only have a one-vote majority in the Senate. The 2024 session starts Monday.
