St. Paul, MN – Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) took the oath of office on Tuesday as the Minnesota Senate began the 93rd legislative session.
“It’s an exciting day to be here to begin building relationships with each other, and to build Minnesota up to being a greater state,” Johnson told Senators in his floor remarks. “Today we’re turning over a new leaf to help Minnesotans, to be the voice of Minnesota, and to work together on behalf of Minnesota. I hope we can enjoy the ceremony of today because tomorrow, we get to work.”
Senator Johnson was also officially voted in as the Minority Leader for the Senate Republican Caucus. The leadership role gives him ample opportunity to advocate not just for the residents of our district, but also for the entire state. With a $17.6 billion surplus, worker shortages, and families still struggling with inflationary costs, the legislature has many challenges ahead.
“I am ready to bring forth ideas to get the surplus back to the people, address our business and workforce needs, and make sure families can afford to live in this great state, especially in Northwestern Minnesota, where we know many people and businesses can easily move over into North Dakota for lower cost of living and better jobs. We must regain our competitive edge if our part of the state wants to continue to thrive,” Johnson said. “That work is very important to me and our district this session.”
This is Johnson’s third term in the Senate, having first been elected in 2016. He previously served as Deputy Majority Leader for the Senate Republicans from 2021-2022.