Minnesota Lawyer
Sen. Amy Koch
The Democratic and Republican caucuses in the House and Senate are meeting between now and Sunday to select new leadership after the DFL-stronghold in the Legislature fell into the GOP’s hands Tuesday night.
In the state Senate, where Republicans have taken control of the chamber for the first time in 38 years, former Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, has said he doesn’t plan to lead the DFL caucus in the minority. Who will take his place remains to be seen, but Cook Sen. Tom Bakk was rumored to be interested in running against Pogemiller while the DFL was still in the majority. Now that Bakk’s spot as head of the Taxes Committee will surely be stripped, he may want to step in for Pogemiller.
While Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, led the GOP Senate caucus this session as Minority Leader, he will not necessarily hold the Majority Leader slot. State Sen. Amy Koch, who headed up elections for the caucus this year, is campaigning for the position, and some say Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Geoff Michel could make a bid. GOP operatives have said Senjem was a good fit to lead a Senate minority, but a more outspoken legislator may need to step up to lead a majority. Many see the Senate President job as a better fit for Senjem.
House Republicans will now hold the gavel in the chamber, and the presumptive Speaker is Maple Grove Rep. Kurt Zellers. The real question is who will serve alongside him as Majority Leader. State Rep. Matt Dean has thrown his name in the ring for job. Dean took the lead on the caucus’ election efforts this year. The caucus plans to vote for Speaker, and possibly Majority Leader, on Saturday.
On the DFL side, state Rep. Tony Sertich has yet to decide whether he will move from Majority Leader to the Minority Leader spot, a DFL source said. That brings all known former House Majority Leader and Speaker candidates – representatives Erin Murphy, Steve Simon, Tina Liebling and Melissa Hortman – in the leadership picture, as well as Rep. Paul Thissen, the source said. The House DFLers will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday.
