Nicole Mitchell announces run for Woodbury City Council in November
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) - Nicole Mitchell, the former Minnesota lawmaker convicted of burglarizing her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home, is officially running for a city council seat in Woodbury.
Nicole Mitchell files for November election
What we know:
Mitchell has filed with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office to run for a Woodbury City Council seat in November. She also has an official campaign website. Filing to run for a seat on the Woodbury City Council opened July 14.
"It has been my honor to grow up and live in Woodbury, and it has shaped the person I am today. I have always given back, from volunteering to military service, and I want to see our neighborhoods and all of Minnesota thrive," Mitchell says in a statement on her website. "I will continue that commitment to building a strong community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish."
City council candidates must be eligible to vote in Minnesota, be at least 21 years old and be a resident of Woodbury for at least 30 days leading up to the Nov. 3 election. City council seats are non-partisan, and candidates run at-large. There is no primary election for the city council.
Woodbury's City Council consists of the mayor and four council members, who each serve four-year terms. Steve Morris and Jennifer Santini currently hold the two council member positions on the November ballot, and Anne Burt currently serves as mayor. The 2026 salary of each council member is $1,060.50 per month.
Nicole Mitchell’s campaign pillars
Why you should care:
According to her campaign website, Mitchell has four main priorities if she was elected to the Woodbury City Council:
- Making science-based decisions
- Keeping costs low
- Greater transparency
- Better representation
Nicole Mitchell’s burglary conviction
Dig deeper:
Mitchell was sentenced to six months of work release at the Ramsey County Jail in September 2025 after being convicted of burglarizing her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes home.
Mitchell spoke before learning her sentence, saying, "I deserve to be here today. The things said and the harm I caused are real. I completely abide by whatever you feel is fair. It's wrong to hurt anybody, but especially, in my opinion, someone you love."
A jury found Mitchell guilty of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools after a week-long trial in July 2025. Mitchell resigned from her Minnesota Senate seat after being convicted.