A Minnesota state senator has been found guilty of burglary after breaking into the home of her estranged stepmother. Nicole Mitchell holds a deciding vote in the closely divided Minnesota Senate and is now facing calls for her immediate resignation.
The Democratic state senator was convicted Friday of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools, after the jury deliberated for about three hours.
Until the conclusion of her trial Friday, Mitchell maintained her claims to innocence and refused to resign from her role as a state senator. After her convictions, Mitchell's lawyer released a statement saying that the lawmaker needs two weeks to wrap up her legislative duties and to secure health insurance for her son before her complete resignation on August 4, 2025.
Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson released a statement Monday pushing for Mitchell to resign immediately instead of waiting two weeks.
“Senator Mitchell was convicted of two felonies; she doesn’t get to give the Senate two weeks’ notice,” said Johnson, in a statement Monday. “The only reason Mitchell is still in office is because Democrats needed her vote to pass their agenda and refused to hold her accountable during session.”
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy issued a statement saying that Mitchell told colleagues that she planned to resign if convicted, “and I expect her to follow through on that pledge.”
During Nicole Mitchell's trial, the prosecution shared body cam footage from her arrest with the jury. She was apprehended by police on April 22, 2024, at her stepmother's house in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The first-term senator was dressed in all black and carrying a flashlight covered with a black sock when she was arrested.
Nicole Mitchell, a Democrat Minnesota State Senator who was arrested for felony burglary, finally begins her trial after months of delays.
— Shawn Hawkins (@ArmedPatriot45) July 16, 2025
Nicole was caught in her stepmother's basement at 4:45 in the morning with a crowbar, trying to steal "disputed property."
She faces up to… pic.twitter.com/bEvb2A2IaM
In the footage, Mitchell repeatedly tells police officers that she broke into the home because her stepmother refused to give her sentimental items that belonged to her recently deceased father, including photos, a flannel shirt, and his ashes. She said to police, "Clearly, I'm not good at this."