Minnesota’s Narrow Democratic Majority Is Suddenly at Risk

Minnesota state Senator Nicole Mitchell announced Monday that she plans to resign, just days after she was convicted of felony burglary.

Mitchell’s resignation will leave the Senate tied between Republicans and Democrats until Governor Tim Walz calls a special election, putting the state Democratic Party’s majority in jeopardy unless they win it. Mitchell said she plans to step down by August 4.

Mitchell was found guilty on Friday for first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools for breaking into her stepmother’s home last April. The situation surrounding her arrest is bleak. While she initially maintained her innocence, she later admitted that she broke into her stepmother’s home to retrieve some of the belongings of her late father, like a flannel shirt. Mitchell told officers that her stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s, cut off communication with her after her father’s death.

“I have never done anything like this,” she said while being arrested. “I just wanted to get a couple of my dad’s mementos.”

“I know I did something bad,” she said later. She faces up to 20 years in prison. Mitchell’s sentencing has not been scheduled yet.