ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic announced Tuesday that she has cancer.
The Minneapolis Democrat said in a statement that she had an abnormal Pap smear test in late December and underwent further tests. She said her doctors on Friday recommended that she should have surgery on Monday to remove a cancerous tumor.
“The surgery was a success; and I am grateful to my doctors, nurses, and all the support staff at the University of Minnesota for the care I received,” she said.
Dziedzic said she plans to return to the Capitol soon, but will continue to lead Senate Democrats and serve her district remotely in the meantime.
“Regular check-ups are key to early detection and prevention of the spread of cancer," she said. "I urge everyone to visit their doctor and prioritize preventative care.”
Her statement did not specify what kind of cancer her doctors diagnosed.
Dziedzic became majority leader for the 2023 session after helping Democrats take control of the Senate, putting them in control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor's office for the first time in eight years.
Democrats have used their “trifecta” to swiftly pass a long list of pent-up priorities they couldn't when Republicans controlled the Senate, including new protections for abortion rights.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more Minnesota politics:
Watch the latest political coverage from the Land of 10,000 Lakes in our YouTube playlist:
