# Melissa Wiklund *Minnesota state senator (DFL), representing District 51* Melissa Halvorson Wiklund, born in 1962, sits in the [[Minnesota Senate]] for District 51. The district lies in the southern Twin Cities metropolitan area and takes in Bloomington and Richfield. She belongs to the [[Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] (DFL).[^1] Her stated legislative priorities are education, health care and job creation.[^1] She was first elected to the Senate in 2012. She was ranking minority member of the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee in the 2021 session and chaired the Health and Human Services committee in the 94th Legislative Session (2025–2026).[^4][^5] On December 16, 2025, she announced that she would retire at the end of 2026, when her fourth term expires.[^4] ## Early life, education, and career Wiklund grew up in Bloomington, [[Minnesota]], and is a graduate of Bloomington Kennedy High School.[^2] In 1991 she completed a B.E.E. and a degree in interior design at the [[University of Minnesota]].[^2] Voters elected her to the Bloomington School Board in 2009. She served three years on the board before entering the Senate and eventually became its chair.[^2] Her board work included chairing the Legislative Committee and the Superintendent Evaluation Committee, and she was a member of the Labor Management Committee.[^2] ## Personal life She and her husband, Craig, live in Bloomington and are the parents of two children.[^3] ## Minnesota Senate Wiklund won her first Senate election in 2012.[^4] During the 2021 session, when her caucus was in the minority, she was a member of two committees: the Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee and the Technology and Reform Policy Committee. She was also the ranking minority member on the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee.[^4] Her committee assignments in earlier and later sessions were as follows:[^5] - 88th Legislative Session (2013–2014): Education; Finance: E-12 Division; Health, Human Services and Housing. - 89th Legislative Session (2015–2016): Finance: E-12 Policy and Budget Division; Health, Human Services and Housing; State and Local Government. - 90th Legislative Session (2017–2018): E-12 Finance; Health and Human Services Finance and Policy; Local Government. - 94th Legislative Session (2025–2026): Health and Human Services (Chair); Commerce and Consumer Protection; Finance; Human Services. Her retirement announcement came on December 16, 2025. She will leave office at the end of 2026, when her fourth Senate term ends.[^4] ## Legislative action The Wikipedia article on Wiklund lists three bills that she coauthored:[^6] - **SF 472, the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act**, was introduced and given its first reading on January 24, 2019. The bill provided for an insulin assistance program, with an insulin assistance account in the special revenue fund. It would have charged drug manufacturers an insulin product fee, allowed emergency refills and appropriated money.[^6] - **SF 820, the Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act**, provided added funding for early childhood education and development, child care, prenatal care and home visiting.[^6] - **SF 1708, the Spoken Language Health Care Interpreter Registry**, provided for a registry of interpreters who pass an English-language test on health care terminology and on interpreter ethics and standards. It added a higher "certified interpreters" tier, open to interpreters holding a health care interpreting certification from an organization named by the Department of Health.[^6] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - Melissa Halvorson Wiklund, born 1962. DFL member of the Minnesota Senate for District 51. Graduate of Bloomington Kennedy High School and of the University of Minnesota (1991).[^1][^2] ### What - Ranking minority member, Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee (2021 session).[^4] - Chair, Health and Human Services (94th Legislative Session, 2025–2026).[^5] ### When - 2009: elected to the Bloomington School Board.[^2] - 2012: first elected to the Minnesota Senate.[^4] - December 16, 2025: announced retirement, effective at the end of 2026.[^4] ### Where - District 51, southern Twin Cities metropolitan area (Bloomington and Richfield).[^1] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Melissa Wiklund*, lead section (revision 1381905306, retrieved 2026-10-26) — birth year, party, Senate seat, District 51 and its cities, stated legislative priorities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Wiklund [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Melissa Wiklund*, "Early life, education, and career" (revision 1381905306, retrieved 2026-10-26) — upbringing, schooling, 1991 degrees, school board election (2009), service and chair roles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Wiklund [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Melissa Wiklund*, "Personal life" (revision 1381905306, retrieved 2026-10-26) — marriage, children, residence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Wiklund [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Melissa Wiklund*, "Minnesota Senate" (revision 1381905306, retrieved 2026-10-26) — first election (2012), 2021 committee assignments, retirement announcement of December 16, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Wiklund [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Melissa Wiklund*, "Past committees" (revision 1381905306, retrieved 2026-10-26) — committee assignments in the 88th, 89th, 90th and 94th Legislative Sessions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Wiklund [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Melissa Wiklund*, "Legislative action" (revision 1381905306, retrieved 2026-10-26) — SF 472 (introduced January 24, 2019), SF 820 and SF 1708 as described there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melissa_Wiklund