Erin Murphy voted new Minnesota Senate majority leader

Erin Murphy has been voted the new Minnesota Senate majority leader, members of the DFL caucus announced at a media availability Tuesday afternoon.

This news comes after Sen. Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, stepped down from the role on Friday, saying that her ovarian cancer had returned.

“We are here today because the remarkable Kari Dziedzic has returned to a fight with a recurring cancer,” Murphy said at the press conference. “Kari Dziedzic reminds us that we should look out for ourselves, get ourselves checked out, look out for our loved ones and be kind. She’s right. She has ably led this caucus for more than a year in a transformative period for the people of Minnesota, and we owe her a debt of gratitude and our large thanks.

“[Dziedzic] remains a member of this caucus and she will remain a leader in this caucus. She will be a teacher and a mentor to us. She showed us that if we choose to stick together and act together, we can do important things for the people of Minnesota to improve their lives,” Murphy added.

Murphy served as assistant leader until her selection Tuesday and also served as chair of the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee. During the 2023 Legislative session, Murphy authored the $1.6 billion State and Local Government budget bill.

She is also a registered nurse and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2007-2019 and served as House majority leader from 2013-2015. She was elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2020.