Minnesota state legislator Daniel Wolgamott, 36, has been arrested for drunk driving for the second time in three years after he allegedly crashed into a parked vehicle in St. Cloud. The collision left an occupant of the stationary vehicle needing hospital treatment for noncritical injuries, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Wolgamott belongs to Minnesota’s Democratic Farmer Labor Party, the state’s left-wing political arm of the national Democratic Party. According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, he was allegedly intoxicated while driving the car that struck the parked vehicle Wednesday evening.
Police responding to the scene reportedly found Wolgamott walking away from the crash. The person inside the vehicle that was hit was injured and taken to a hospital, though the reported injuries were described as noncritical.
A police filing described several visible signs that allegedly indicated Wolgamott was impaired after the collision. Wolgamott “had poor balance, bloodshot eyes and glossy eyes,” the filing reportedly read.
The filing also detailed the lawmaker’s alleged difficulty communicating and his performance during a sobriety test. “While speaking with [Wolgamott], he had slurred speech and was having difficulty formulating full sentences. [He] also showed multiple signs of impairment during field sobriety test.”
Wolgamott was charged with criminal vehicular operation, bodily harm, and driving while under the influence of alcohol, according to the report. He was also being held without bail following the Wednesday evening incident.
The arrest marks Wolgamott’s second drunk driving case within three years. His earlier case resulted in a misdemeanor drunken driving conviction in 2023, making the latest allegations a repeat encounter with authorities over alcohol and driving.
In the 2023 case, police pulled Wolgamott over after officers followed up on a tip concerning a man drinking in a liquor store parking lot, according to the outlet. That episode ultimately ended with his conviction for misdemeanor drunken driving.
Wolgamott addressed questions about alcohol following that previous conviction. He said at the time that he had undergone professional testing and received “an assessment that I do not have an alcohol-use disorder,” according to the Minnesota Reformer.
The latest case carries an added element absent from the description of the 2023 traffic stop. This time, authorities allege that Wolgamott struck a stationary vehicle and that an occupant suffered injuries requiring treatment at a hospital.
The police account also places Wolgamott outside his vehicle and walking away when officers arrived. Investigators described poor balance, bloodshot and glossy eyes, slurred speech, difficulty forming full sentences and multiple signs of impairment during field sobriety testing.
Wolgamott is an outgoing member of the Minnesota state House. He had reportedly declined to seek a fifth term in the chamber this year and instead pursued another statewide political office.
The lawmaker opted to run for Minnesota state auditor rather than seek another House term. That campaign failed when Wolgamott lost the race to another member of the Democratic Farmer Labor Party.
The DFL Party operates as an arm of the national Democratic Party in Minnesota, according to the report. Wolgamott’s affiliation places the latest arrest squarely within the state’s Democratic political ranks as he prepares to leave the House.
Wolgamott did not provide a public response to the latest allegations in the material reported by the Minnesota Reformer. The outlet said he did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the arrest and charges.