Morrison All-in for Congressional Bid

National & Minnesota Report

Sen Kelly Morrison (DFL-45, Deephaven) one of the three Doctor Senators in the MN Senate, is vying for the Congressional seat being vacated by her childhood friend Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN03) after his abysmal, largely unsupported ageist bid against President Joe Biden (D). Morrison takes the bold step of working without a net, being in the middle of her senate term, but helping the DFL Senate have a shot at maintaining their 34-vote majority with a contest during a usually DFL-favorable Presidential election.

Since, the seat was wrestled from Congressman Erik Paulsen (R) in 2008, it has proven to be a fairly reliable DFL seat.

The race pits Morrison against former judge, Hennepin County Commissioner and MN House member, Tad Jude (R) an anti-choice legislator who switched parties mainly on the abortion issue and ran twice for Congress against Bill Luther (D-MN06) 1994 & 1996. This race will clearly have abortion rights as a centerpiece of this contest.

The vacated Morrison seat, will now be a special election occurring at the same time as the Presidential election and will prevent the need for a special election, had Morrison won the seat, in January 2025.

The field of candidates for Senate District 45, is not yet set, but former Sen Ann Stewart Johnson who Morrison defeated on the first ballot during the DFL endorsement in 2022 is already waiting in the wings to make her bid, but because of this recent information, no Republican has emerged.