This browser does not support the Video element.
Minnesotans remember Sen. Kari Dziedzic
Minnesota Sen. Kari Dziedzic has died of cancer. Her death comes less than a year after she announced her cancer had returned. Dziedzic represented Minneapolis and served as Senate Majority Leader from January 2023 until she stepped down in February 2024.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis Early Vote Center is open for residents looking to cast a ballot in the special primary election for Minnesota Senate District 60.
The special election was called after the woman who held the seat, Minnesota Sen. Kari Dziedzic died on Dec. 27.
READ MORE: Special election for MN Senate District 60 set for January after Dziedzic's death
The district skews heavily Democrat, with Dziedzic winning 85.7% of the general election vote in 2020 and 98.7% of the vote in 2022, when she ran unopposed.
Early voting options
What we know:
Voters can now cast a ballot at the Minneapolis Early Vote Center at 980 East Hennepin Avenue.
Minneapolis officials shared the following available times for casting an early vote at that location:
- Thursday, Jan. 9, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Friday, Jan. 10, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Jan. 11, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Monday, Jan. 13, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 14, Closed for voting, voters are instructed to vote at their polling place. Elections and voter services
The special primary election will be held on Jan. 14 ahead of the special election on Jan. 25.
Who is running?
What we know:
There are currently seven Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) candidates and two Republican candidates running for the seat, according to the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State website.
One of the DFL candidates, Mohamed Jama, dropped out of the race on Wednesday.
READ MORE: MN election: Senate District 60 DFL candidate drops out
The current DFL candidates in the race include the following:
- 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
Dig deeper:
The Senate District 60 special election will be held on the same day as the special election for House District 40B after a judge determined the winner of that race, Democrat Curtis Johnson, didn't live in the district, so wasn't eligible.
Sen. Dziedzic dies of cancer
The backstory:
Dziedzic, 62, died on Dec. 27 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 leaves the Minnesota Senate at a 33-33 split.
The Source: A news release from the City of Minneapolis and past FOX 9 reporting.