Minnesota State Sen. Jerry Relph dies after contracting COVID-19

MINNESOTA — Minnesota State Sen. Jerry Relph of St. Cloud has died of complications related to COVID-19.

Relph tested positive for COVID-19 last month, three days after going into self-quarantine after he discovered he was exposed at the State Capitol. Relph then went to an emergency room for his symptoms.

Relph, 76, is the first Minnesota lawmaker to succumb to the virus.

“I’m heartbroken to share that my husband, Jerry Relph, has passed away and entered his heavenly home. Jerry was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam, an attorney, small businessman, and dedicated public servant in the Minnesota Senate,” Pegi Broker-Relph said in a statement. “I’d like to thank everyone at the legislature for the relationships and sense of family you provided for us over the last four years. I am profoundly grateful for all the love and support our family has received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

A member of the Republican Party, Relph represented District 14 in central Minnesota.