With Senator Larry Pogemiller saying he no longer wants the job now that the DFL is in the minority, former candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Bakk will be the Senate leader in the Minority chair come January.
Press release from the DFL below:
Members of the Minnesota Senate DFL Caucus gathering for a post-election caucus chose Sen. Tom Bakk of Cook to be their leader for the 87th Legislative Session.
“While the election changed many things in St. Paul, it did not erase the historic challenges facing our state,” said Sen. Bakk. “Our priority now is to work with the new governor and the incoming majority to grow jobs and forge a fair, responsible balanced budget.”
Bakk, a retired carpenter, represents Senate District 6 in Northeastern Minnesota and is currently Chair of the Senate Tax Committee. He was elected to the Senate in 2002 following eight years in the Minnesota House.
“While there may be fewer of us now, our caucus will continue to fight hard for the things that are important to Minnesotans,” said Sen. Bakk. “We can’t balance the state’s budget by dismantling our public school system, making a college degree unaffordable, or closing down nursing homes. On Tuesday, nearly 56% of Minnesotans voted for a candidate for Governor who was up front about the need to include new revenue – along with substantial cuts – to balance the budget. Our hope is to help our new governor point Minnesota in a direction that returns prosperity to people in every part of the state.”
