DFL Senate Minority Leader Melisa Lopez Franzen will not seek re-election
After a short stint leading Democrats in the Minnesota Senate, Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen said Wednesday she will not seek re-election because the state's new redistricting maps placed her in the same district as a fellow DFL senator.
"After careful consideration of the changes brought on by redistricting, I've decided I will not be seeking re-election to the Minnesota Senate," she said in a video announcement posted Wednesday. "I intend to continue to serve in my leadership role with my caucus until the end of my term."
The Edina resident, in her third term, landed in the same district as Sen. Ron Latz of St. Louis Park, who has served in the Legislature for two decades and is seeking a sixth Senate term. They are among the many lawmakers who found themselves potentially facing off with another incumbent when the state's political boundaries were redrawn last week. A number of legislators on both sides of the aisle announced they are retiring following changes to the maps.
López Franzen, 41, who is an attorney and president of a public relations firm, was elected to lead the Senate DFL in September after then-Minority Leader Susan Kent decided to step down from the post. López Franzen, who grew up in Puerto Rico, is the first woman of color to hold the leadership position.
Read more: https://www.startribune.com/dfl-senate-minority-leader-melisa-lopez-franzen-will-not-seek-re-election/600149766/
