Mary Murphy, the longtime representative of Hermantown in the Minnesota House, died Wednesday after suffering a stroke earlier in the week.

Mary Murphy

House Speaker Melissa Hortman announced Murphy’s death in a Facebook post, two days after saying the former legislator and teacher had a stroke and would be moved to hospice care.

“Former State Rep. Mary Murphy passed away earlier today,” Hortman posted on Facebook. “She was a wonderful state representative and human being. So many people will miss her, and remember her and her accomplishments fondly.”

Hortman announced Murphy’s death on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.

A graduate of Hermantown High School, Murphy, 85, served in the Minnesota House from 1977 until 2023 in an occasionally changing district that stretched from Hermantown to Two Harbors. Her 46-year run in elected office for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party ended after losing her reelection bid to current Minnesota 3B Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar, a Republican, by 33 votes.

Murphy taught history and social studies at Duluth Central High School for more than 30 years, often noting when her former students attended events she spoke at.

Her time in the Minnesota Legislature makes her the longest-serving female legislator in state history and the second-longest representative after Hennepin County’s Lyndon Carlson.

In her final term in the Legislature, Murphy put the finishing touches on funding for North Star Ford Arena, the new rink currently under construction in Hermantown. In addition, she helped secure funding for projects in Two Harbors, Rice Lake and the Western Lake Superior Sanitation District.

She also supported projects such as the Northern Lights Express, a high-speed passenger rail line connecting Minneapolis and Duluth.

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