LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

by Kevin Walli & Sam Richie, AASP-MN Lobbyists

Leadership Changes in Minnesota Senate

While the Legislature may not be in session, there have still been some big changes that are likely to impact the Legislative process in 2022 and beyond. Both caucuses in the Minnesota State Senate have elected new leaders to navigate their parties through next year’s session and the all important 2022 election, which will see all 201 members of the Legislature on the ballot.

Senator Paul Gazelka (R – Nisswa) had been the leader of the Republican caucus since 2017, but stepped down from that position in early September to focus on his run for Governor. Senator Gazelka has been the face of the Republican party as the lead negotiator in dealing with the DFL Governor and a DFL-led House during his time in leadership. His resignation as Majority Leader was expected as his Gubernatorial ambitions have been widely known, but who his successor would be was less certain.

The new Republican leader will be Senator Jeremy Miller (R – Winona). Senator Miller was first elected in 2010 and has been serving as Senate President since 2019. Senator Miller is the father of three young boys and works as the chief financial officer for his family’s scrap metal company in Winona. He has been an approachable and thoughtful legislator with a reputation for trying to find common ground and reaching across the aisle in an effort to find compromise.

While Senator Gazelka’s choice to step down was widely anticipated, the same cannot be said for DFL Minority Leader Senator Susan Kent (DFL – Woodbury). Senator Kent, who took over the leadership role in early 2020, announced that she will not seek reelection in 2022 and would step down from her leadership position immediately. This set up a wide-open race for her replacement, with as many as five DFL Senators in the mix to replace her.

The new Senate DFL Leader will be Senator Melisa Lopez Franzen (DFL – Edina). Senator Franzen was first elected in 2012 and had been Assistant Minority Leader until earlier this summer when she stepped down over the handling of a sexual harassment complaint by a Senate staffer. Senator Franzen, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, will be the first member of the People of Color and Indigenous caucus to be elected to lead a caucus in the Minnesota Senate. She is an attorney and small business owner and has served on both the Commerce and Finance Committees.

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