Nicole Mitchell
Nicole Mitchell (Democratic Party) was a member of the Minnesota State Senate, representing District 47. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. She left office on July 25, 2025.
Mitchell (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Minnesota State Senate to represent District 47. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Mitchell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Mitchell resigned on July 25, 2025, after she was convicted of first-degree felony burglary and possession of burglary tools.[1] To read more, click here.
Biography
Nicole Mitchell was born in Fargo, North Dakota, and was raised in and lives in Minnesota. Mitchell graduated from Woodbury High School. She joined the U.S. Air National Guard, where she worked as a weather observer and weather forecaster and had reached the rank of Lt. Col. as of 2023. Mitchell also served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a weather officer.[2]
Mitchell earned a B.A. in speech communications from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from Georgia State University. Her career experience includes working as an assignment manager at a TV station in Duluth, as a TV meteorologist in various cities, and for the Weather Channel.[2]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Mitchell was assigned to the following committees:
- State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee (decommissioned)
- Energy and Utilities Finance and Policy Committee
- Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee
- Local Government Committee, Vice Chair
Elections
2022
See also: Minnesota State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Minnesota State Senate District 47
Nicole Mitchell defeated Dwight Dorau in the general election for Minnesota State Senate District 47 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Nicole Mitchell (D)  | 58.7 | 22,936 |
 | Dwight Dorau (R) | 41.2 | 16,111 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 17 | ||
| Total votes: 39,064 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Nicole Mitchell advanced from the Democratic primary for Minnesota State Senate District 47.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Dwight Dorau advanced from the Republican primary for Minnesota State Senate District 47.
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Nicole Mitchell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mitchell's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I started volunteering during high school, and have volunteered in many capacities over the years, including for domestic abuse victims, at a homeless shelter, and most recently at a local food bank. After seeing the impact many of these issues have on children, much of my volunteer service has centered around abused and neglected children, and I have been a licensed foster care provider since 2018. I have provided care to 6 different children since 2018, and along with my biological son (age 5), I currently care for another 5yr old, who I am in the process of adopting, and a 1yr old. I am a military veteran with 30yrs service, including 16yrs flying into storms as a Hurricane Hunter, and I currently serve as a Commander in the National Guard. (*The military/DoD does not endorse political candidates. Information about Nicole’s service do not constitute an endorsement.) For my civilian career, I am a meteorologist who has worked in television and radio broadcasting for both local and national networks. this has also given me the opportunity to be involved and educate on climate and environmental issues. And I have a law degree and have experience with working on and even drafting legislation.
After a lifetime of service, I look forward to serving my community at the Minnesota Capitol!- I support our teachers and our public schools. As a mother and foster parent to a special needs child, I believe every student deserves a world--class education. We need to ensure schools have the resources they need to keep class sizes small, fund special education, and have enough support staff, including school counselors.
- I will protect our environment and work to mitigate the impacts of climate change, impacts which I am uniquely aware of as a meteorologist. This includes ensuring the state invests in more clean energy initiatives, and that we protect our water resources from further long-term pollution.
- I will work to protect the health and safety of Minnesotans. This means ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare, making sure that women retain the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions, and helping to keep our communities safe from gun violence.
I am a mom and foster parent who wants our public schools to thrive. and to be safe from gun violence.
I also believe we need to invest in our children with things like pre-k and after-school programs to help ensure more children have the resources they need.
I am a military member who wants to look out for our veterans.
I have been an election judge since 2018, and will work to protect free and fair elections.
I am a community volunteer who wants to look out for those in need.
I am a scientist who understands climate and environmental issues
I am a woman who almost died from complications during a planned pregnancy who knows reproductive decisions should not be legislated, and must remain between the pregnant person and their doctor.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
Arrest, burglary conviction (2024-2025)
On April 22, 2024, Mitchell was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a home in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.[3] On April 23, 2024, the Becker County Attorney's Office charged Mitchell with one count of first-degree burglary.[4]
Mitchell responded to the allegations on social media, denying that she had stolen from the home owned by her stepmother. She wrote, "Like so many families, mine is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimer's and associated paranoia. Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room. Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny. Thank you to all my friends (and colleagues of both parties) for the kind words of support and for trusting my character even before I had a chance to respond. This has been a true tragedy for our family and my hope is it can return to being a private matter."[5]
Mitchell made her first court appearance related to the charges on April 23, 2024.[6]
On April 25, 2024, Mitchell said that she did not intend to resign from the Minnesota State Senate.[7]
On April 28, 2024, Minnesota State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said that Mitchell would be removed from her committee assignments while her case was being reviewed. Murphy released the following statement: "This is a tragic situation, and there are still questions that need to be answered. The legal investigation is ongoing, and last week, we referred her case to the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct. While the case is under review both in the Senate and in the courts, Senator Mitchell will be relieved of her committee assignments and removed from caucus meetings."[8]
On April 30, 2024, a motion in the Minnesota State Senate to call for Mitchell's resignation failed along party lines, with Mitchell casting a vote against the motion.[9]
On August 27, 2024, Mitchell pleaded not guilty to felony burglary in Becker County District Court.[10]
Mitchell's trial was initially scheduled to start on January 27, 2025, in Becker County District Court.[11] On January 17, 2025, Judge Michael D. Fritz ruled that Mitchell's trial would be rescheduled within 60 days of the end of the Minnesota State Legislature legislative session, which concluded on May 19, 2025.[12]
On July 18, 2025, Mitchell was convicted of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools in Becker County District Court. On July 21, 2025, Mitchell announced she would resign from the Minnesota State Senate District 47 no later than August 4, 2025.[1]
On September 23, 2025, Mitchell was sentenced to 21 months in prison, which was stayed. Mitchell also received five months of probation and was required to serve 180 days of work release in Ramsey County, Minnesota.[13]
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Minnesota scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from February 12 to May 20.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Minnesota State Legislature was in session from January 3 to May 22.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CBS News, "State Sen. Nicole Mitchell will resign after guilty verdict in burglary trial," July 21, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nicole Mitchell 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed March 30, 2023
- ↑ CBS News, "Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell arrested in Detroit Lakes on suspicion of burglary," April 23, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, charged with burglary, says she was checking on loved one with Alzheimer's," April 23, 2024
- ↑ Facebook, "Nicole Mitchell (MN State Senator)," accessed April 23, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, charged with burglary, says she was checking on loved one with Alzheimer's," April 23, 2024
- ↑ MPR News, "Minnesota Sen. Mitchell insists she won’t resign as demands for answers about arrest grow," April 25, 2024
- ↑ ‘’KTTC News (Rochester, Minnesota)’’, "Minnesota State Senate Majority Leader releases statement regarding Senator Nicole Mitchell," April 28, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell's vote helps defeat call for her own resignation," April 30, 2024
- ↑ MPR News, "Sen. Nicole Mitchell enters not guilty plea to burglary charge," August 28, 2024
- ↑ Bemidji Pioneer, "Sen. Mitchell won't go on trial for burglary charge before start of next legislative session," September 4, 2024
- ↑ Minnesota Public Radio News, "Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell trial delayed until after legislative session," January 17, 2025
- ↑ WDIO ABC (Duluth, Minnesota), "Ex-Minnesota Senator Nicole Mitchell sentenced to work release, probation for burglary," September 23, 2025
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Julia Coleman (R) |
Minnesota State Senate District 47 2023-2025 |
Succeeded by Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (D) |
