ST. PAUL, Minn. – Two Democratic state senators are leaving the DFL, which they said is insufficiently sensitive to northern Minnesota. Together Tom Bakk of Cook and David Tomassoni of Chisholm have 37 years in the Senate. The two Iron Range senators said they will not caucus with Democrats but by themselves as independents. Their priority, they said, is the economy of northern Minnesota. Their departure symbolizes the state’s growing urban-rural split. Politically their departure undercuts Democrats in the Senate and gives Republicans, in effect, a 34-31 majority. The split also gives Bakk and Tomassoni leverage with Democrats who will need to curry their support on partisan votes.
Bakk. In Senate since 2003, earlier in House.
In Sensate since 2000, earlier in House.