DFLer Doron Clark wins Minnesota Senate seat in special election

DFLer Doron Clark was elected to the Minnesota Senate in a special election Tuesday for a heavily blue district covering northeast Minneapolis.

The result officially breaks a 33-33 tie between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. Against GOP challenger Abigail Wolters, Clark won nearly 91% of the vote and will succeed Sen. Kari Dziedzic, who died from ovarian cancer at age 62 in December. Dziedzic held the Senate District 60 seat since 2012.

In an interview Tuesday, Clark, 47, said he was “gobsmacked” by the results and was grateful for the volunteers on his campaign.

“I will be focused on education, housing, housing, housing and lowering the cost of health care,” Clark said.

Senate DFL Caucus Leader Erin Murphy congratulated Clark on his victory.

“Senator-elect Clark is a talented and accomplished leader who understands his district well,” Murphy said in a statement. “During this difficult time, for the Minnesota Senate and the people living in Senate District 60, we’ve been guided by the example of brilliant leadership set by the late Senator Dziedzic. With Senator-elect Clark, we are committed to bringing the light of her legacy to bear on our work for Minnesotans across the state.”

Clark received 7,783 votes to Wolters' 746.

Clark, who won his party’s endorsement, beat out seven opponents in the primary election Jan. 14. He spent two years chairing the Senate District 60 DFL and works in Medtronic’s ethics department. He also coaches track and cross country at Minneapolis immersion school Yinghua Academy.

Despite the tie in the Senate, lawmakers have convened as normal through January, sharing control of committees and the Senate floor. Clark is expected to be sworn in within days.

Ten Democrats filed at the end of last year to run for the Senate seat. Earlier this month in the special DFL primary election, Clark won 38% of the votes and beat the next-best candidate Monica Meyer, who had almost 35% of the votes.

Meanwhile, the state House has been in disarray. Republicans hold a 67-66 edge but are unable to convene the chamber because Democrats are boycotting the session. The GOP lacks a quorum without Democrats present. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Friday that 68 members must be present to conduct business in the 134-member chamber.

Democrats say the two parties should share power because a special election for a vacant Roseville-area seat will presumably return the House to a 67-67 tie.

The special election to fill the House District 40B seat, which covers the Roseville area, was also originally scheduled for Tuesday but was canceled when the state Supreme Court ruled Gov. Tim Walz acted too quickly when he scheduled it.

Walz has not yet set a new date but has indicated it will likely come in March.