Earlier today, Michelle Fischbach officially took the oath of office as Minnesota’s 49
th
Lieutenant Governor, filling the vacancy created upon Senator Tina Smith’s resignation from that role. As President of the State Senate, she is next
in the line of succession
to serve as Minnesota’s Lt. Governor.
“While I never expected this, I am prepared to take on this challenge and serve Minnesotans to the best of my ability,” said Lt. Governor Fischbach. “My goal over the past five months was to serve the constituents who elected me during this important legislative session. Now that the work of the Legislature has concluded, I will resign my seat in the Senate and focus on my role as Lieutenant Governor. I am honored to continue serving the people of Minnesota, and look forward to working with Governor Dayton.”
Lt. Governor Fischbach resigned her seat in the Minnesota Senate today. In the coming days, Governor Dayton will issue a writ of special election for Senate District 13 to fill the vacancy caused by Lt. Governor Fischbach’s resignation from the Senate. In a letter to colleagues, she indicated that she will not be a candidate for the Senate seat. The special election will be held in coordination with the State’s general election on Tuesday, November 6
th
.
Fischbach was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1996. From 2011 to 2013, Fischbach served as President of the Minnesota Senate, the first woman in state history to serve in this position. She was again elected President of the Senate in 2017. She served as Chair of the Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee from 2011-2013 and 2017-2018.
