Former Minnesota Sen. Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Minneapolis) died in December from ovarian cancer. She was 62 years old. 

Legislators remember her as a dedicated, hardworking lawmaker, and a thoughtful, kind friend. Whether it was leading the Senate or having expert knowledge on a bill, legislators said they could always depend on Dziedzic. 

Sen. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) said Dziedzic was committed to her family and community from Northeast Minneapolis. Dziedzic’s father, Walt Dziedzic, sat on the Minneapolis City Council for 22 years and was a Minneapolis Park Board member for 12 years. 

Two of Dziedzic’s brothers were Minneapolis police officers and her third brother, Joe Dziedzic, played in the NHL from 1995-1999. 

Dziedzic led the 2023 senate session when the DFL had a one-seat majority and passed numerous bills such as funding for universal school meals, legalizing cannabis for recreational use and securing legal protections for abortion and gender-affirming care, MPR reported. 

The Senate now sits at a 33-33 tie between Democrats and Republicans until the special election to fill her seat Tuesday. 

Mikayla Mtanous, Dziedzic’s former legislative assistant, said in a statement that Dziedzic brought both humility and strategy to each piece of legislation. Mtanous said she is honored to have worked with Dziedzic and watched as she brought people together. 

“Everything people say about Senator Kari Dziedzic is undoubtedly true,” Mtanous said in the statement. “Hearing about her is one thing but seeing her in action is a completely different experience.”

Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) said Dziedzic had many accomplishments such as funding the Stone Arch Bridge, supporting tenant’s rights and approving tax relief on pensions for firefighters and police officers. But above everything, Rest said she was a good person. 

“I believe one of her major accomplishments was that she was a good friend to many people,” Rest said. 

Sen. Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Rapids) said in a statement that Dziedzic will always be remembered by her passion for serving Minnesotans across the state. Even while undergoing cancer treatment, Dziedzic still fought for her constituents, Johnson said. 

“I’m deeply saddened at her passing and am praying for her family and friends as we all mourn this loss,” Johnson said in the statement. 

Known for her humility and kindness 

Murphy said when Dziedzic became Senate Majority Leader in 2022, Murphy, a member of the Minnesota House at the time, recognized how dependable Dziedzic would be. Murphy said Dziedzic’s extraordinary kindness and humility will never be forgotten. 

“She reminded us to enjoy every day, that life was short and to be kind to one another,” Murphy said. “That I think is the thing that has stuck with me the most, that life is short. We should work hard. We should do what we believe in. And we should be kind to one another.”

After receiving her ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2023, Dziedzic underwent emergency surgery to limit the spread of the disease, according to reporting by MPR. She stepped down from her leadership role in Feb. 2024 when the cancer returned. Murphy then became Senate Majority Leader. 

Legislators remember Dziedzic for her constant efforts to unite Democrats and Republicans together, Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-Minneapolis) said. He added her words and work could always be depended on. 

“She was bright and smart and thoughtful,” Champion said. “But guess what? You could always depend on her words. She’s going to always find a way to bring people together. She would reach across the aisle. It didn’t matter if you had an R or a D behind your name.”

Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL-Minneapolis) said Dziedzic always emphasized the humanity of lawmaking by focusing on people, not politics. Jordan added that Dziedzic never lost her core values when legislating across the aisle. 

“Kari was so connected to her community and her constituents. Kari never lost sight of that,” Jordan said. “She did work with people across the aisle and got that done, but she was always a progressive. She never lost sight of those underlying values.”

Creating lifelong friendships

Champion said he remembers days driving home from the Capitol at midnight, Dziedzic would always call him and ask how he was. He said those phone conversations with Dziedzic made him truly believe they were a team. 

“You sometimes think, ‘Maybe I was her favorite.’ But then you learn she talked to somebody else. And they too thought, ‘Oh, Kari, thought about me, maybe I’m her favorite,’” Champion said. “Everyone had that experience where she always made you feel like you were the most important person around.”

When Murphy joined the Senate in 2020, she and Dziedzic were part of the tax team. Murphy said she will always remember Dziedzic stepping up to help her when she could not find an answer to the chair’s question. 

“She was so quick to my side with like, ‘This is what this means,’ so that I could give an accurate answer and did it in a way that was kind and direct and respectful,” Murphy said. “That made me feel like I was really a part of a team.”

Dziedzic was always prepared, Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) said. When Dziedzic and the late Sen. David Tomassoni went to a Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) meeting together, Dziedzic carried a three-ring binder bulging with notes and post-it tabs. Hoffman said he and Tomassoni were baffled by the sheer detail Dziedzic put into all of her legislation notes. 

“I’m like, ‘Holy God, Kari.’ And she goes, ‘Well, yeah, we were going to talk to LCCMR. I got everything right here and got my notes,’” Hoffman said. “I went, ‘Oh, no, I didn’t do that.’” 

Hoffman said it was Dziedzic’s engineering degree that made her very organized but realistic. Hoffman now imagines himself and many legislators thinking to themselves, “What would Kari do?” when in a rut. 

Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) said she remembers campaigning alongside Dziedzic during the 2022 Senate and House elections and admiring her strong sense of teamwork. Dziedzic was never one to bask in the success and instead, she emphasized their service to the public, Hortman said.

“She would enamor herself in all those details to find a way that we could get something done, that people who you didn’t think could see eye to eye,” Hortman said. 

Jordan said Dziedzic was a mentor to her when Jordan won a special election and entered the House during COVID-19 in 2020. Jordan added that without Dziedzic, she would not be a state representative right now. 

“There’s a lot of times where I wish I could call Kari,” Jordan said.