Minneapolis senators, representatives and the general public attended the official renaming of the 10th Ave. Bridge to honor Kari Dziedzic. (Michael McKinney)
On October 1, several dozen people, including Minneapolis residents, state and local representatives, city officials and Mayor Jacob Frey gathered on the middle of what was formerly known as the 10th Avenue Bridge.
By that afternoon, the bridge would have a new name: the Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic Memorial Bridge. Kari Dziedzic’s family was also in attendance, standing amidst a crowd of elected officials.
The renaming followed unanimous approvals from the Minneapolis City Council and the state Senate.
Senator Dziedzic represented District 60 from 2012-24 and served as Senate Majority Leader during the 2023 legislative session. In 2017, Dziedzic helped secure state bonding dollars to fund renovations to the bridge, which included pedestrian walkways and protected bike lanes. She died in December 2024, less than two years after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Senator Erin Murphy, who represents District 64, St. Paul, and has taken on Dziedzic’s role as Senate Majority Leader, put it plainly. “I’m here today to honor the memory of our dear treasured leader, the tireless Kari Dziedzic. You’ll hear a number of people talking about her bridge-building abilities (today). It’s true for me as well. When I served in the House, we bridged those two bodies and worked together on legislation.”
Later, Murphy said, “I want to close by reminding us of what she reminded us at the end of her life: life is fleeting; grab hold of it. Be kind. Love each other. I think it is important, in this moment, to remember the human capacity that she brought to this work. Yes, she was a tireless advocate; she knew policy better than anyone. But, at her core, she cared about each of us, and that’s why we’re all here today: to commemorate and honor her.”
Representative Sydney Jordan, who represents District 60A in the Minnesota House, said “every Minnesotan is a part of Dziedzic’s legacy.”
“When you go across a bridge, or enter a school, or work to make the world a better place by planting a garden or caring for a neighbor, you’re part of Kari D.’s legacy, because our communities are part of what Kari cared so much about.
“I know she would want the bridge named after her to be in Northeast Minneapolis, but I know she was proud of this one. Even this week, I wished I could pick up the phone and call Kari. I knew I could call her at 1 p.m. or 1 a.m. We miss you, Kari, and we’re so lucky to have you in our lives.”
After the ceremony concluded, City Council President and Ward 1 City Council Member Elliott Payne told the Northeaster that he was most moved by “the human element.”
“We had a shared background (in engineering),” he said. “I was the only Black person in the company that was an engineer; she was the only woman. She famously went through quite a lot of professional challenges being the only woman in a lot of male-dominated spaces, and that was one of those really big connection points for us… She’s a really thoughtful, compassionate, intentional person. She had a quiet power. She wasn’t the most bombastic, in-your-face person, but she was quiet and she knew all of her stuff.”
Ward 3 City Council Member Michael
Rainville recalled a different element of her legacy: the Lowry Avenue Bridge. “We talked, and we both agreed the people of Northeast and North Minneapolis deserved a really nice bridge,” he said. “What I always thought was: that sends a signal to the people who live there that they’re worth it. They’re worth that extra cost.”
State Senator Doron Clark, who now represents the late Senator’s district, said Dziedzic “recognized how to help you before you knew you needed help. She knew how to make (politics) work better so it could work for all of us. That’s what she did her whole life. She learned it at the knee of her dad and then she did it better than anybody.”
“She mentored deeply. She knew that to make this work, you had to have a whole lot of people… She always had multiple interns. She had new people working with her, building up a group of people who knew how to do the work of government. To get this many people at bridge dedication — it’s rare. It’s a testament to the fact that she’s beloved: beloved because she worked harder for you than you worked for yourself.”
Senator Bobby Joe Champion, on the right, speaks at the newly named Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic Memorial Bridge on October 1. Minneapolis City Council Member Michael Rainville, Senator Doron Clark and many other elected officials attended the event. (Michael McKinney)