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Minnesota state Sen. Kelly Morrison announced Thursday that she will resign her seat as she launches her bid to represent Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The move tees up a special election for her state Senate seat and could determine whether Democrats maintain control of the chamber or if it could flip to GOP control. Democrats held a one-seat majority, but the departure splits the Senate evenly between 33 Democrats and 33 Republicans.

A special election for the seat will take place on the General Election ballot on Nov. 5. All 134 House seats will also be on the ballot that day.

“Today I am stepping down from my seat in the MN Senate to focus full-time on my campaign for Congress,” Morrison, a Deephaven Democrat, said on X. “This will save taxpayers the cost of a special election and allow voters to more easily participate in choosing a new senator. It has been an honor to serve the people of SD45.”

Morrison’s announcement came just after the deadline to withdraw a filing for office, which could lock a potential GOP candidate into a run for the state House. She won the seat spanning the western suburbs in 2022 with 56 percent of the vote. The two House districts within the Senate district are represented by a Democrat and a Republican.

Gov. Tim Walz on Friday announced that candidate filing for the seat would open Monday and run through 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips currently represents the 3rd District but is stepping down following an unsuccessful bid for president. The seat has recently been held by Democrats.

Former DFL Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart late Thursday announced her intent to run for the seat. “I will work tirelessly to represent the people of our district, and make sure that we continue to advance a people-centered agenda in the Minnesota Legislature,” she said.

Democrats in the state Senate are also split on whether Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, should step down following her burglary arrest in April. Some members of her caucus have urged her to resign, while others have said she should have her day in court.

Mitchell faces a Senate ethics hearing next week and her next court hearing is scheduled for July 1.

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The move will tee up a special election that will determine which party controls the Minnesota Senate.

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Minnesota Sen. Kelly Morrison resigns seat to run for U.S. Congress, setting up tiebreaker special election

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