ST. PAUL — The Minnesota House DFL announced late Monday night that Rep. Zack Stephenson has been elected as the new caucus leader.

Stephenson, 41, of Coon Rapids, is set to fill the role that Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman had served in since 2018. Throughout the 2025 session, he was often seen by Hortman’s side and was inside leadership budget negotiations as co-chair of the Ways and Means Committee.

“I am honored to have the support of my colleagues to serve as caucus leader,” Stephenson said in a press release on Monday. “Speaker Hortman is irreplaceable — as a leader, a strategist, a colleague, and a friend. While I’ve been chosen to lead, it will take all of us, working together, to move forward, honor Speaker Hortman’s legacy, and build a Minnesota where everyone can succeed. We

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