[7] In late 2019, it was reported that Susan Kent, a state senator from Woodbury, intended to challenge Bakk for his caucus leadership post.

[8] On February 1, 2020, in a caucus meeting that lasted more than six hours, Kent defeated Bakk, succeeding him as minority leader.

[9] Three weeks after the 2020 elections, when it was determined that the DFL did not win a majority in the Senate, Bakk and fellow DFL state senator David Tomassoni announced they would no longer caucus with Democrats and instead form their own “independent caucus.” Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka welcomed the move and gave Bakk the chairmanship to the Capital Investment in exchange for voting in line with the Republican Party on floor votes.

[10] In March 2022, Bakk announced he was not seeking re-election to the State Senate and would retire from politics at the end of the year.

[11] Bakk endorsed Babbitt mayor Andrea Zupancich (GOP) to succeed him in the state Senate later that year.