Downey Announces Candidacy for State Senate

State Rep. Keith Downey (R-Edina) has officially declared his intent to run for the Minnesota Senate this fall, in hopes of filling the seat vacated by Sen. Geoff Michel.

Downey had initially declared he would be running for re-election to House District 49A, but said things changed after both Michel and Pat Mazorol (R-Bloomington) announced they would not be returning to the Capitol.

The legislator previously told Patch he was , as Mazorol's decision to not seek a second term "created a totally different dynamic."

"My original intent was to run for re-election to the Minnesota House, but after receiving strong encouragement from supporters and the broader community I have decided to run for the State Senate," Downey said in a release. "It would be an honor to carry forward the great representation we have had with Senators Geoff Michel and Roy Terwilliger."

He'll be running against DFL nominee Melisa Lopez Franzen, who currently works as an attorney at Target.

Downey is wrapping his second term at the Legislature, having been elected to the House of Representatives in 2008. He serves as Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and is a member of the Education Finance, Taxes and State Government Finance committees.

Senate District 49, which was , includes Edina, west Bloomington and portions of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka. Michel said he would not be seeking re-election to the seat .

Downey said he's confident the work he started in the House will translate seamlessly to the Senate, where is "already has strong relationships and has worked with Senators from both sides of the aisle to pass legislation."

"We still face big challenges at the state, and the communities of District 49 have so much to offer in addressing them," he said. "This is a great opportunity to represent their interests from a slightly larger platform in the Senate, and I look forward to a good debate during the campaign about the direction our state should take."

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