Fargo lawmaker Liz Conmy dies in Minnesota plane crash

State Rep. Liz Conmy, a Democrat from Fargo, died Saturday after a plane crash, North Dakota’s Democratic-NPL Party said Saturday evening.

The crash involving a small plane occurred shortly before noon Saturday in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, the Brooklyn Park Police Department reported. 

The National Transportation Safety Board said a Beech F33A airplane crashed in a residential area shortly after taking off from the Crystal Airport in Minnesota. The Federal Aviation Administration said two people were on board.

Brooklyn Park Police said both occupants died. Police did not identify the victims as of Sunday. No one on the ground was hurt.

KFGO reported the pilot who died was a friend of Conmy’s.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, and an investigator was expected to arrive on the scene Sunday to document the site and examine the airplane, said NTSB spokesperson Keith Holloway.

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong offered condolences Saturday to Conmy’s family, friends and fellow legislators.

“Liz served her state and community with care and compassion, from her service in the Legislature and on the state’s Human Trafficking Commission to her work on education, habitat and immigration,” Armstrong said in a statement. 

State Sen. Tim Mathern has represented District 11 in south Fargo alongside Conmy. 

“I really see Liz as having a zest for life,” Mathern said Sunday. 

Mathern said many people did not realize that Conmy was still actively engaged in agriculture, running the farm near Langdon that she took over from her parents. 

“She had one foot out there in rural North Dakota and one foot in Fargo,” Mathern said. “That sort of broad perspective was unique among legislators.” 

House Minority Leader Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, said he is “completely devastated” by the loss.

“She lived life to its fullest, never shying from adventure or speaking her mind — often in refreshingly direct terms,” Ista said in a statement. “As a lawmaker, she championed public education, the environment and transparency.”

Conmy was elected to the House in 2022 and was running for reelection. In a campaign announcement in January, Conmy said she wanted to continue representing south Fargo’s diverse community by focusing on education, housing, childcare and healthcare.

She has four children. Her professional career included work in journalism, corporate communications, and as a faculty member at Minnesota State University Moorhead, according to her campaign announcement. She was active on boards of Audubon Great Plains and CATCH ND, which promotes legal immigration in rural communities.

“I think her death is a reminder that we all ought to engage in life,” Mathern said. “The best way we can honor Liz Conmy is to be engaged in positive things.” 

Armstrong directed all U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Conmy’s interment.

A preliminary report from the NTSB is expected within 30 days, with a final report detailing the probable cause of the crash expected in one to two years, Holloway said. Witnesses or anyone with surveillance video or other information are asked to contact the NTSB at [email protected]. 

This story was updated with additional reporting.