Former Senator Nicole Mitchell elected to Woodbury City Council
Former Sen. Nicole Mitchell sentenced to work release for burglary
Former Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell was sentenced to six months of work release on Tuesday for her burglary conviction after she broke into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes.
WOODBURY, Minn. (FOX 9) - More than a year after being sentenced to work release for a 2025 burglary conviction, former State Senator Nicole Mitchell is back in politics.
Nicole Mitchell elected to Woodbury City Council
What we know:
Mitchell announced in July she would run for Woodbury City Council.
In Tuesday night’s midterm elections, Mitchell was among 10 candidates on the ballot, and two would be elected. Mitchell finished second with 7,387 votes, or 13.27%.
Steve Morris, the only incumbent on the ballot, finished third, just 101 votes behind Mitchell. He could request a city-funded recount if the canvassed results preserve that margin, but it’s not known if he will.
Mitchell ran a campaign built around water quality, transparency at City Hall and scrutinizing adding data centers.
She thanked her supporters on social media Wednesday morning, and joked she went to bed not knowing the results.
Mitchell back in politics
Why you should care:
Mitchell was a state senator until she resigned her seat last year, after being convicted of burglary at her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home. Mitchell was sentenced to six months of work release at the Ramsey County Jail.
Woodbury's City Council consists of the mayor and four council members, who each serve four-year terms. Mitchell and Samantha Wolf won the two open city council seats. Anne Burt won her third term as mayor. The 2026 salary of each council member is $1,060.50 per month.
What's next:
Mitchell has filed an appeal in her burglary case, arguing that certain testimony was wrongly excluded from trial, she was improperly denied access to her stepmother’s medical records, and the judge misunderstood his authority to grant a stay of imposition at sentencing.
It appears oral arguments were heard in that case in September. However, no ruling has been filed yet.