Senator Kari Dziedzic, a key figure in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party’s successful 2023 legislative session, passed away on December 27th at the age of 62 due to ovarian cancer. A photo of her in her office, taken on December 23rd, 2022, accompanies this article.
As Senate Majority Leader, Dziedzic skillfully navigated the passage of numerous DFL priorities through the Senate. This was a remarkable achievement, considering she accomplished it while working remotely due to her illness, facing a razor-thin one-seat majority, and overcoming years of legislative gridlock under divided government. For twelve years, she faithfully represented northeast Minneapolis, her birthplace and home, in the state Senate.
Tributes poured in from colleagues across the political spectrum. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy described Dziedzic as “an uncommon leader” whose “kindness, humor and selflessness made us all better people.” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, a Republican, lauded her as a “passionate legislator, a respected leader and a trusted colleague and friend,” noting her commitment to serving even while battling cancer.
Dziedzic’s vacant seat will leave the Senate evenly divided at 33-33, beginning the 2025 legislative session. A special election will be held in this reliably DFL district, though a date has not yet been set.
Her career extended beyond the state Senate. The daughter of longtime Minneapolis City Council and Park Board member Walt Dziedzic, Kari also served in local government, working for the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board and the Hennepin County Board before becoming executive assistant to U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. She also had a brief, but challenging, stint with the North Stars hockey team in the 1990s, later filing a lawsuit alleging harassment by owner Norm Green. This lawsuit became highly publicized, with some suggesting it contributed to the team’s relocation to Dallas.
In the Senate, she was a vocal advocate for victims of sexual harassment and assault, spearheading efforts to update the Senate’s policies and sponsoring legislation to simplify the process of filing workplace harassment lawsuits. She stepped down as Majority Leader in February 2024 due to a recurrence of her cancer.
Even amidst the accolades, Dziedzic consistently prioritized the work ahead, deflecting praise in a 2023 profile. Her enduring legacy includes impactful policy achievements benefiting nearly all Minnesotans: codifying the right to abortion, implementing free school lunches for all students, enacting climate regulations, granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, and securing billions in funding for infrastructure and housing. She is survived by her mother, Pat Dziedzic, her five siblings, their spouses, and numerous nieces and nephews.
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By Madison McVan, Minnesota Reformer, December 28, 2024.
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