MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A special election primary for Minnesota Senate District 60 is being held Tuesday, Jan. 14, to fill the vacancy in the district after Sen. Kari Dziedzic died of cancer in December.
After the primary narrows the field of candidates, a special election will be held on Jan. 28. The same day as a special election for House District 40B.
Who is running for Senate District 60?
What we know:
There are currently seven Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidates and two Republican candidates running in their respective primaries, according to the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State website.
One of the DFL candidates, Mohamed Jama, dropped out of the race earlier this month.
The current DFL candidates in the race are:
- Doron Clark
- Peter Wagenius
- Iris Grace Altamirano
- Monica Meyer
- Joshua Preston
- Amal Karim
- Emilio César Rodroguez
The current GOP candidates include the following:
- Abigail Wolters
- Christopher Robin Zimmerman
Senate District 60 represents northeastern parts of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. It skews heavily Democrat, with Dziedzic winning 85.7% of the vote in 2020 and 98.7% of the vote in 2022, when she ran unopposed.
How to vote in the special election primary
What you can do:
If you live in the district, you can register to vote at your polling place. You can find your polling place here.
Polls are open on Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You can find more information about voting in the special election here.
Sen. Dziedzic dies of cancer
The backstory:
Dziedzic, 62, died on Dec. 27, 2024, while surrounded by family, according to a statement from her family.
She was elected to represent Senate District 60 in January 2012, and served as Senate Majority Leader from January 2023 until she stepped down from the role in February 2024, after her ovarian cancer returned.
In 2024, she got a bill passed to help fellow cancer patients get coverage for wigs. The law took effect on Jan. 1.
As she was being treated for cancer, she worked remotely during the 2024 legislative session. She never missed a vote.
Dziedzic's death left the Minnesota Senate at a 33-33 split. The Senate has agreed to a power-sharing agreement this legislative session.
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