Former Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell has officially filed to run for Woodbury City Council, seeking a return to public office about a year after resigning from the Legislature following a felony burglary conviction.

Mitchell, a Woodbury resident and DFLer, represented Senate District 47 from January 2023 until July 25, 2025. She resigned one week after a Becker County jury found her guilty of first-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools. Her departure prompted a special election eventually won by Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, who now represents the district.

Two Woodbury City Council seats are up for election this November. Council members are elected at-large to four-year terms, and because Woodbury does not hold a city primary, all candidates who file by July 28 will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Mitchell’s campaign website focuses heavily on her previous work in the Legislature and longtime ties to Woodbury, where she grew up and later returned to raise her family. Her stated priorities include keeping property taxes down, protecting water quality, increasing transparency at City Hall and exploring a transition from at-large council seats to a ward system. She also opposes additional AI data centers in Woodbury without public input.

Mitchell’s felony case stemmed from an April 2024 incident at her stepmother’s home in Detroit Lakes. Police found Mitchell inside the home early in the morning. Prosecutors argued she entered intending to take belongings connected to her late father, while Mitchell maintained during her trial that concern for her stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, motivated her actions.

Mitchell was sentenced to 180 days in jail in September 2025 and was released in January after serving nearly four months.