The Minnesota Legislature is in play after several seats unexpectedly opened up. After the tragic death of Republican Senator Bruce Anderson and Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, as well as the retirement of Sen. Nicole Mitchell after a burglary conviction, there are an unprecedented number of special elections on the docket.
For context, the Senate is now closely divided, 33-32, in favor of the Democrats, with significant opportunities for conservative leaders to make an impact. Governor and failed Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walz has signaled that he wants these elections concluded before the next legislative session.
In any case, the governor expressed his desire for a quick election to minimize disruption. He stated, “The goal would be to do that as timely as possible, give people time to get a campaign together, run, and then have all of that done by February when we come back into session.”
Adding more context, Amy Koch, former GOP Senate majority leader, spoke to the unusual circumstances of Mitchell’s retirement. She said, “The spotlight that will be on Woodbury and how important Sen. Mitchell [is] and what she did is going to play into this election. All bets are off in a special. Unusual people can win specials. There can be upsets as a result of just sort of the nature of — it’s fast, it’s furious, and it’s low turnout.”
Offering another view, Senate Democratic Farmer-Labor Majority Leader Erin Murphy sought to distance the party from the disgraced state senator. She said, “With the clarity brought by the resolution of this case, the Senate DFL Caucus will continue to focus on issues that improve the lives of Minnesota families and communities.”
As we reported, State Sen. Nicole Mitchell was initially arrested on April 22, 2024, after she broke into her stepmother’s home, reportedly to retrieve property that belonged to her deceased father. After the humiliating arrest, she was convicted of first-degree burglary and felony possession of burglary tools, forcing her to retire from the state legislature on July 25, 2025.
Humiliating bodycam footage, captured by officers responding to the scene of the crime, painted the left-wing politician as an incompetent and emotional criminal. Mitchell admitted she was “just trying to get some of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”
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Stating the obvious, the disgraced politician stated, “Clearly, I’m not good at this,” and seemingly fessed up to the break-in, saying, “I know I did something bad.” Attempting to justify her crime, she claimed, “[My stepmother] is paranoid and suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease. “[My stepmother] had progressively cut off the family [because of Alzheimer’s-induced paranoia]… I just wanted to get a couple of my dad’s mementos.”
However, prosecuting attorney Brian McDonald was unwilling to accept these weak excuses. McDonald declared, “[Sen. Mitchell] was caught red-handed. This case won’t be about speculation. It won’t be about trying to read between any lines. [The case] will be about what the defendant did, what she admitted to, and what you will see and hear with your own eyes and ears,” adding, “No amount of grief or frustration can justify a home burglary. Do not get distracted.”