MMA Member Resigns from State Senate to Focus on Congressional Campaign

June 13, 2024

On June 7, Kelly Morrison, MD, an OBGYN and MMA member, resigned from the Minnesota Senate to focus full-time on her bid to represent Minnesota’s third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

In a social media post announcing the move, Morrison said the decision will “save taxpayers the cost of a special election and allow voters to more easily participate in choosing a new senator.” 

The announcement puts partisan control of the Minnesota Senate up for grabs going into the 2025 legislative session. Prior to Morrison’s resignation, DFL Senators held a single vote, 34-33 majority. The replacement for Morrison’s seat will be decided during the General Election, on November 5. If Morrison had waited to resign or not resigned until elected to Congress, the special election would have taken place after November 5. 

“The decision gives a glimpse of how she will operate in Congress, if given the opportunity,” said Chad Fahning, MMA manager of state legislative affairs. “It comes with a risk since, if she loses her bid for Congress, she will be out of any public office. On the other hand, her decision gives voters and candidates in her senate district time to get to know each other. It was a noble decision.” 

Morrison has served in the Minnesota Legislature since 2019, serving two terms in the Minnesota House before being elected to the Senate in 2022. She announced her candidacy for Congress in November of 2023. 

Most recently in the 2024 legislative session, Morrison authored legislation severely limiting the use of prior authorization. In her time, she has also championed other MMA priorities, including legislation increasing access to reproductive healthcare; supporting physician mental health and wellbeing; and ensuring reimbursement for telehealth services, among many others. 

In a social media post regarding Morrison’s announcement, her colleague, Sen. Matt Klein, MD, an internal medicine physician and MMA member, posted on social media “the doctors caucus drops to two. And Senator Morrison was the best of us. Congress’ gain is our loss – all the best, doc.” 

Klein and Alice Mann, MD, MPH, are now the only two physicians in the Minnesota Legislature.