Windom Park resident Doron Clark filed his bid for Sen. Kari Dziedzic’s seat in the Minnesota Senate on Dec. 30, one day before the filing deadline and his birthday.
Raised on a farm in southeastern Minnesota, he moved to the Twin Cities to attend college at Hamline University; he’s lived in Northeast for more than 25 years. He’s been an active participant in neighborhood affairs, chairing the planning committee for Northeast Park’s new recreation center and ball fields, and more recently, helping Windom Park residents get loans and grants to make homes more energy efficient. He served as chair of Senate District 60 DFL in 2022.
He works at Medtronic, serves on the board at Hamline and is the finance manager for Northeast United Methodist Church. He and his wife Molly have two daughters; one attends Edison High School, the other, Yinghua Academy.
DFL-endorsed Doron Clark lives in the Windom Park neighborhood.
Clark told the Northeaster he was experiencing “a whirlwind of emotions” about running for Dziedzic’s seat so soon after her death, but was reminded of what she told him after the late Rep. Diane Loeffler passed away in 2019: “We get to be sad and, at the same time, we need to get to work.”
He said his platform is focused on schools, health care, housing for all, human rights and economic justice.
Like Clark, Abigail Wolters is from outstate Minnesota — she grew up in St. Cloud. A software engineer, she graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2021. She has lived in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood for four years, and says she’s “plugged in” to Hope Community Church.
GOP candidate Abigail Walters lives in Marcy-Holmes, and is a native of St. Cloud
She said the last legislative session drove her to seek office. “My parents are very conservative, and I was taught to live within my budget, and so should the state. Over the last two years, the state budget has increased 37%.” She said both parties need to work together.
She wants Minnesota — and Minneapolis — to become more business-friendly. “I’ve had friends leave the state for jobs and to start companies,” she said. “I want to make sure we’re doing enough to make this an attractive place to do business. I think Minnesota can be better.”
Wolters would also like to institute stiffer consequences for criminal acts. “I moved here in 2017,” she said, “and public safety has declined. I’ve seen people leap out of getaway cars and snatch purses in Dinkytown. There needs to be more consequences for breaking the law.”
The special election for Senate District 60 will take place Tuesday, Jan. 28. Absentee voting begins Jan. 22.
You can vote early in-person at Hennepin County Government Center, Skyway Level, 300 S 6th St. or Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services, 980 E. Hennepin Ave. Hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Jan. 22-24, 8 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 27, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 (Election Day) – Vote-by-Mail drop off only.
If you prefer to vote in person on Election Day, but don’t know where your polling place is, visit https://pollfinder.sos.mn.gov and enter your Zip Code. Polls will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m.