Police say a Minnesota Democratic lawmaker who was already convicted of drunk driving in 2023 drove drunk again and hit a parked car with a man inside, sending him to the hospital.
Story Highlights
- State Rep. Dan Wolgamott of St. Cloud was arrested on the night of Wednesday, November 11, after police say his car hit a legally parked car with a 37-year-old man inside.
- Police say alcohol was a factor and that Wolgamott was impaired. He was booked on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm and third-degree DWI.
- The injured man was taken to the hospital with injuries police say are not life-threatening.
- Wolgamott pleaded guilty to drunk driving in 2023. He is accused, not convicted, in the new case, and he has made no public statement.
What Police Say Happened In St. Cloud
On the evening of Wednesday, November 11, St. Cloud police were called at 7:49 p.m. to a stalled car blocking traffic in the 1300 block of 13th Street North. Police say Wolgamott, 36, was driving east on that street when his car struck a legally parked car. A 37-year-old St. Cloud man was sitting inside it. He was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with injuries police say are not life-threatening. No one else was reported hurt.
Police said officers determined that alcohol was a factor and that Wolgamott was impaired. They have not said what evidence led them to that finding. Wolgamott was arrested and booked into the Stearns County Jail shortly after 9 p.m. Jail records list three counts: criminal vehicular operation causing bodily harm while under the influence of alcohol, third-degree DWI with one aggravating factor, and a second DWI count. Criminal vehicular operation is the Minnesota charge for hurting someone while driving impaired or recklessly. An aggravating factor is something state law says makes a DWI more serious, such as a prior impaired-driving offense within ten years.
Wolgamott is a member of the DFL, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is Minnesota’s name for the Democratic Party. He has represented House District 14B, in the St. Cloud area, since 2019 and co-chairs the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee. Wolgamott has not made a public statement on the arrest, and no statement from House DFL leaders has been reported. Reporters said they reached out to his office and to the DFL for comment.
The 2023 Drunk-Driving Conviction
This is Wolgamott’s second impaired-driving arrest in a little over three years. In July 2023, the Minnesota State Patrol pulled him over in Kanabec County, near Mora, after getting a tip about a man drinking alcohol in his car in a liquor store parking lot. Troopers reported that his car was missing a front license plate, had expired tags and was weaving within its lane.
He pleaded guilty to one count of driving with an alcohol level of 0.08 or more, and a second count was dropped. He received a 45-day jail sentence that was stayed, meaning he did not have to serve it as long as he followed the court’s rules. He also got two years of probation and a $400 fine. Court records show he finished probation in September 2025.
What Comes Next For The Case
The booking counts are not formal charges. As of the morning of Thursday, November 12, court records showed no charges had been filed, and Wolgamott was being held pending court proceedings. Prosecutors will decide what charges to file after police finish their investigation, which officials say is ongoing.
Wolgamott did not run for reelection to the House in 2026. He sought the DFL’s backing to run for state auditor but did not win the party’s endorsement and was not on the August primary ballot. His House term ends in January, when newly elected lawmakers are sworn in.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, knsiradio.com, fox9.com, kstp.com, sctimes.com, patch.com