A DFL Minnesota state senator was arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of driving while impaired, marking his second such arrest while serving in office.
The driver, identified as Sen. Tou Xiong, 34, of Maplewood, was arrested after showing signs of impairment.
According to a statement from the Minnesota State Patrol, the incident occurred on Aug. 14 at approximately 2:40 a.m. when a state trooper stopped a Honda CR-V near Highway 36 and McKnight Road in Maplewood. Authorities said the vehicle had been weaving out of its lane and the driver failed to use a signal.
A breath test administered to Xiong indicated a blood alcohol concentration of 0.09, above the state’s legal limit of 0.08. He was booked into the Ramsey County Jail for a third-degree DWI and later released. The State Patrol said the investigation remains open.
This is not Xiong’s first alcohol-related arrest while serving in office. He previously pleaded guilty to driving drunk in a January 2022 incident while he was a State Representative. Xiong was stopped in Anoka County and registered a blood alcohol content of 0.11, two hours after being pulled over.
He was sentenced to 90 days in jail — which was stayed — and was ordered to undergo a chemical dependency assessment. He paid $288 in fines and served one year of probation supervised by Anoka County Community Corrections.
Xiong, an attorney, has represented Senate District 44 since 2023. Before being elected to serve in the Senate, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2022.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
