Former Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis), who represented parts of the University community, died in Minneapolis on Friday after a years-long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 62.

Dziedzic, who served as Senate majority leader since 2022, announced her cancer diagnosis in early 2023 and later stepped down from her Senate leadership position in February 2024 after her ovarian cancer returned. 

Dziedzic took office in 2012, representing several Minneapolis neighborhoods including the University of Minnesota campus, and led the state senate through the historic 2023 legislative session which passed legislation on abortion rights, drivers licenses for all Minnesotans and a more than $1 billion investment in affordable housing.

Minneapolis will hold a special election to fill Dzidzic’s seat on Jan. 28, according to the City of Minneapolis website. Minnesota DFL expects to endorse a candidate for the state senate on Jan. 8.

Edison father and former chair of DFL Senate District 60 Doron Clark announced his candidacy for Dziedzic’s senate seat in a social media post Monday.

Dziedzic’s death means Minnesota’s senate seats will be evenly split between the DFL and GOP when the 2025 legislative session begins Jan. 14. District 60’s new senator will return the DFL 34-33 majority. Dziedzic held the same slim majority for the DFL ahead of the 2023 legislative session.

Until her death, Dziedzic continued preparing for the upcoming 2025 state legislative session from the assisted living facility where she was living.

Podcaster and children’s author Sheletta Brundidge said in a column about Dziedzic on Tuesday the senator was quietly steadfast in her political work.

“She always looked for ways to use her political power for good,” Brundige said in her column. “And you didn’t even have to ask her for help.”

Primary voting for Dzeidzic’s district will begin on Jan. 9 and run until Jan. 14. Minneapolis voters can cast their ballot early starting on Jan. 9.