Natalie Hudson Becomes Minnesota's First Black Chief Justice

Natalie Hudson has been chosen by Governor Tim Walz as the new chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, making her the first chief justice of color and the first Democratic-appointed judicial branch leader in 25 years. Hudson, who has been on the Supreme Court since 2015, will replace Chief Justice Lorie S. Gildea, who is retiring in October. Hudson's appointment marks a shift in the court's ideological makeup, as the seat of chief justice had been occupied by Republican appointees since 1998. Walz also announced that his former office general counsel, Karl Procaccini, will fill the associate justice slot left vacant by Hudson.