State senator to take on Dean Phillips in 3rd District race

Emily Baude KSTP

Minnesota Sen. Kelly Morrison (DFL-Deephaven) talks with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS via Zoom on Nov. 9, 2023. (KSTP-TV)

A state senator is planning to take on Congressman Dean Phillips in the race for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District (MN-03) seat.

Senator Kelly Morrison (DFL-Deephaven) announced on Thursday that she is running for Congress.

Morrison, who works as an OB-GYN, says she led the effort to pass legislation protecting abortion rights in Minnesota as well as taking on Big Pharma to lower the cost of prescription drugs, according to a news release.

“I’ve spent most of my career as a doctor – not a politician,” Morrison said. “I know what it’s like to see my patients struggle to afford the medications they need, so I took on Big Pharma and lowered prescription drug costs. I know how important it is that women – not politicians – are able to make their own healthcare decisions, so I led the effort to protect abortion rights in Minnesota. I’m running for Congress because we need leaders who are focused on delivering results.”

Morrison’s campaign touts her efforts in helping pass over 80 bills since 2019 and her efforts to combat gun violence, take on the opioid crisis, strengthen mental health support in schools, fight climate change, and protect Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.

She has been endorsed by former Gov. Mark Dayton; Sarah Stoesz, the former president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States; and Minnesota Senator Alice Mann (DFL-Edina), according to her campaign.

Morrison called Phillips a friend and “an excellent representative” but said he’s focused on running for president now and residents of the Third Congressional District need to still have the best representation possible.

“I’ve worked side-by-side with Kelly Morrison in the Minnesota legislature, and I’ve seen firsthand how hard she works for our families in the Third District,” Mann said. “As a doctor, she was instrumental in passing legislation to lower prescription drug costs for Minnesotans, and I know she will continue that fight in Congress.”

Morrison joins former Minneapolis official Ron Harris in seeking Phillips’ seat in the primary.