The new chair of the Hamline University Board of Trustees and alumnus Doron Clarke will have an opportunity to represent MN District 60 as their new senator. The election was held Tuesday, Jan. 14. following the death of current Senator Kari Dziedzic, who passed away at 62 this past December due to cancer.
Dziedzic held the seat since 2012 and now leaves the state senate split at 66-66 amongst the two parties.
The special election to break the tie will be held later in the month on Jan 28. and will feature GOP candidate Abigail Wolters as Clarke’s opposition. Clarke edged out Monica Meyer in the primary, retaining 38.13% of the vote compared to Meyer with 34.62% of the votes.
The field was significantly wider on the democratic side with seven candidates compared to the two on the GOP side. Wolters beat out Christopher Robin Zimmerman with a commanding 72.17% of the votes.
The special election comes at a time of turmoil within the state senate, as the DFL (Democratic Farmer Labor) party boycotted the first legislative session of the year.
Over the semester break Doron Clarke became the successor of Cind Gregorson as the Hamline University Board of Trustees Chair. Clarke was last seen on campus welcoming in Hamline’s 22nd president Dr. Hostetter at her introduction ceremony last week on Thursday Jan. 9.