Susan Kent (politician)

Susan Kent (born November 18, 1963) is a Minnesota politician and former minority leader of the Minnesota Senate.^[1] A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented District 53 in the eastern Twin Cities metropolitan area from 2013 to 2023.

Susan Kent
Minority Leader of the Minnesota Senate
In office February 1, 2020 – September 14, 2021
Preceded by	Tom Bakk
Succeeded by	Melisa Franzen
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 53rd district
In office January 8, 2013 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Redistricted
Succeeded by	Nicole Mitchell (redistricting)
Personal details
Born	Susan Lawson (1963-11-18) November 18, 1963 (age 61) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (DFL)
Spouse	Chris
Children	1
Education	University of Texas, Austin (BS)

Early life, education, and career

Kent was born in 1963 in New Orleans, Louisiana.^[2] She earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of Texas at Austin.^[3]

Minnesota Senate

Kent was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2012.^[4]

In late 2019, it was reported that Kent intended to challenge Minority Leader Tom Bakk for his caucus leadership post.^[2] On February 1, 2020, after a private meeting that lasted more than six hours, the caucus elected Kent as its new leader.^[1] In September 2021 Susan Kent announced that she would not run for re-election, also choosing to step down as Senate Minority Leader.^[5]

Personal life

Kent met her husband, Chris, a Maplewood native and 3M employee, in Austin, Texas. The couple moved to Woodbury, Minnesota in the mid-2000s.^[2] They have one child.^[4]