Nicole Mitchell, a Democratic state senator in Minnesota, is slated to resign in disgrace after being convicted of felony burglary after she broke into her stepmother’s home, allegedly because she wanted to obtain items belonging to her late father, which led to her arrest.
For background, on July 21, 2025, Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, a member of the Democratic Farm-to-Labor Party (DFL), announced via her lawyer that she plans to resign, with the Associated Press confirming that she has given a two-week notice in order to obtain health insurance and complete her legislative duties. Her resignation follows a criminal trial that began on July 14 and ended in a guilty verdict.
During Sen. Mitchell’s hearing, the prosecution presented police bodycam footage that confirmed that, when confronted by an officer, the senator claimed that she was “just trying to get some of my dad’s things because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore,” referring to her stepmother, who found her and called the police. Moreover, the bodycam footage depicts the senator blurting out multiple embarrassing and incriminating statements, including, “Clearly, I’m not good at this.”
Moreover, the senator attempted to defend herself and her actions to the police by telling the officer who arrested her that her stepmother is “paranoid” and has Alzheimer’s Disease. As shown in the bodycam footage, the senator went on to say that her stepmother had “progressively cut off the family” because of Alzheimer’s-induced paranoia and that she “just wanted to get a couple of my dad’s mementos.”
Furthermore, after she was convicted on felony burglary charges, a sentencing date for Sen. Mitchell was set for September 10, 2025, with KSTP reporting that she faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. After she was convicted, Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Richard Carlbom said of the senator, “I hope that she will hold to her promise and resign immediately.”
In addition, State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, a DFL member, also called for Sen. Mitchell’s resignation, saying, “Senator Mitchell has been afforded due process, a trial by a jury of her peers, and that jury has delivered a verdict. I am relieved to see the end of Senator Mitchell’s trial.”
Continuing, Murphy said that Mitchell’s conviction “brings clarity to the situation,” adding, “Senator Mitchell has told colleagues that she intended to resign if found guilty of this crime, and I expect her to follow through on that pledge. Our caucus remains focused on the issues that matter to Minnesotan families and communities.”
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On the other hand, State Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson pushed back when Sen. Mitchell announced that she was taking two weeks to get her affairs in order. He said, “Senator Mitchell was convicted of two felonies; she doesn’t get to give the Senate two weeks’ notice,” adding, “The only reason Mitchell is still in office is because Democrats needed her vote to pass their agenda and refused to hold her accountable during session.”
Watch footage of Sen. Mitchell’s arrest:
Featured image credit: video screengrab