Politics and Government News

Senate District 60 primary results: 9 candidates running in election to decide control of the Minnesota Senate

A government services building
Two people enter the Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services building on Jan. 13.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

The recent death of Minneapolis DFL state Sen. Kari Dziedzic left a 33-33 tie in the Minnesota Senate. On Tuesday, seven Democrats and two Republicans will be on the ballot in a primary to pick one candidate from each party to run in a Jan. 28 election.

The Jan. 28 winner will tip the majority control in the chamber.

The Minnesota Senate District 60 seat has been in DFL hands stretching back to the early 1970s. Dziedzic won her last contested race with an overwhelming majority.

In a field this large, itโ€™s hard to stand out. Hereโ€™s a look at how the candidates running in Tuesdayโ€™s primary are trying to distinguish themselves.

Doron Clark, DFL

Clark is the DFL-endorsed candidate. Heโ€™s worked and advocated in his community and neighborhood organizations.

candidate poses for a photo in neighborhood
Doron Clark.
Courtesy photo

โ€œWhen (Minnesota House member) Diane Loeffler died, Kari Dziedzic and I sat down to figure out who else should run, and Kari said, โ€˜We get to be sad. We get to mourn, and then we got to get to work.โ€™ And this is a time we got to get to work.โ€

โ€œWe need to more fully fund education. Iโ€™d start with how we fund school lunches. Iโ€™d open up ensure so more groups could opt in to take advantage of MNsure and three housing. Housing helps on transportation. Housing helps on the environment. Housing makes it, well, just plain, cheaper to live. And we have a housing emergency. Weโ€™ve got encampments here, and weโ€™ve got to fix that now.โ€

Iris Grace Altamirano, DFL

headshot of sd60 candidate
Iris Grace Altamirano.
Courtesy of Iris Grace Altamirao's campaign.

Altamirano says she has dedicated her life to advocating and negotiating on behalf of vulnerable communities.

โ€œI feel that our party has unfortunately lost touch with working families and communities of color that have been taken for granted for decades.โ€

โ€œI believe that I am one of the few candidates that have proven to be a champion and an advocate for constituencies that, unfortunately, our party has been talking around for far too long and it's evident by the results of our last election.โ€

Peter Wagenius, DFL

Wagenius has the endorsement of Attorney General Keith Ellison and some sitting state legislators. Heโ€™s the son of DFL Rep. Jean Wagenius, who was first elected in 1986.

โ€œIn a low turnout election, a lot of things come down to word of mouth. And so it matters that my wife and I have been extremely active in the Minneapolis public schools. I want to go to the place where the future of Minnesota is decided, and thatโ€™s the Minnesota State Legislature. Thatโ€™s where I want to be to be most effective for my community.โ€

candidate poses for a new headshot
Peter Wagenius.
Courtesy photo

โ€œWe donโ€™t have time to put any of those issues on pause because of national trends or because Donald Trump is in office, states can do a ton on all of those issues, all of those issues, and Iโ€™m going to insist on it. As long as Iโ€™m in the Senate, weโ€™re going to push on all of those issues.โ€ 

Monica Meyer, DFL

Meyer has the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, and some prominent Minneapolis politicians in state and city offices. Sheโ€™s worked at the Capitol with groups including Gender Justice and OutFront Minnesota. 

โ€œI have a lot of experience organizing and working with in community and with organizations to pass policies that make a difference in peopleโ€™s lives. I really believe that we come up with the best policies at the state Capitol.โ€

candidate poses for picture
Monica Meyer.
Courtesy of Monica Meyer campaign.

โ€œIf we bring the people who are most affected by those issues into make sure that their voices are heard, make sure that we are working with community groups. To really make sure that our Capitol is the peopleโ€™s house, and that people feel like they that itโ€™s really accessible.โ€

Amal Karim, DFL

Karim is a former classroom teacher on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. She supports Minnesotaโ€™s standing as sanctuary state for those seeking gender-affirming care and newly arrived immigrants.

candidate headshot
Amal Karim.
Courtesy photo

โ€œIโ€™ve lived in five different countries in my life, and five different states, and the longest I have lived anywhere in my 35 years is northeast Minneapolis. Itโ€™s where I have a home now, and where Iโ€™m raising my daughter and our dog with my husband.โ€

โ€œFor me, whatโ€™s really compelling about running for public office is having diverse, community based voices in positions where those voices are valued. I [want] to be someone who offered a different, fresh perspective of someone who who hasnโ€™t been a candidate before.โ€

Emilio Cรฉsar Rodrรญguez, DFL

Rodrรญguez is the youngest candidate. Heโ€™s a student at the University of Minnesota and a community organizer and wants to expand the North Star Promise free college tuition program.

person talks into microphone at an event
Emilio Cรฉsar Rodrรญguez.
Courtesy photo

โ€œThis is our moment to center our policy and our vision around the lived experiences of marginalized groups. I donโ€™t see myself represented in these in these areas. I donโ€™t see the people who Iโ€™m fighting for represented in these areas and only with lived experience, only with marginalized voices at the table.โ€

โ€œCan we successfully navigate a Trump presidency? Can we successfully chart the course for an equitable and just society and secure a future that is bright for us and our children and their children? We have to be bold, we have to take risks, and we have to fight.โ€

Joshua Preston, DFL

Preston is a lawyer who wants to address the housing crisis.

candidate poses for a photo in his home
Joshua Preston.
Courtesy photo

โ€œIโ€™m running for one term only. Iโ€™m focusing on one issue, and thatโ€™s addressing native homelessness. I want to address the issue of poverty in our communities.โ€

โ€œI want to make sure that people have shelter over their home. I want to make sure folks are getting culturally competent care. I want to make sure that we arenโ€™t just kicking these people around from one neighborhood to another.โ€

Abigail Wolters, Republican

Wolters is the Republican endorsed candidate. Sheโ€™s running on a platform on public safety and increasing jobs for recent graduates.

candidate poses for photo in front of skyline
Abigail Wolters.
Courtesy photo

โ€œIโ€™m Republican, but I think people will find that I really do have a lot of their interest at heart. I love Minnesota a lot. I love Minneapolis a lot, and thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m running. I donโ€™t want to see it in decline.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m looking forward to sensible spending. Of course, Iโ€™m also looking forward to taking crime more seriously. I think thereโ€™s been a lot of violent crime in the past four years, and some of that comes from people who arenโ€™t documented. I think Trump has said heโ€™ll be serious about that and kind of prevent more needless crime.โ€

Christopher Robin Zimmerman, Republican

Zimmerman is running on the Republican ticket although he identifies as an independent.

โ€œIโ€™ve never considered myself loyal to any party. Iโ€™m just concerned with getting the nomination. I am concerned about trans rights.โ€

man takes a photo in front of lake
Christopher Robin Zimmerman.
Courtesy photo

โ€œI think we need to keep the gains that weโ€™ve made and expand on them. Iโ€™m not sure [if] the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is going to have a deep cut in funding, and that may affect stations such as KFAI. Obviously, protect the Boundary Waters, all the good stuff. Itโ€™s become more of a protest vote for others.โ€

Correction (Jan. 14, 2025): An earlier version of this story misspelled Iris Grace Altamiranoโ€™s name in a photo caption.