The Minnesota Republican Party has a big problem on its hands with one of its state lawmakers being arrested and accused of a heinous crime.

Minnesota GOPers are now calling for the immediate resignation of State Sen. Justin Eichorn (R) following his arrest on Monday for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution, according to the Washington Examiner.

Should the state senator, who is married and has four children with his wife, refuse to abide by the calls to resign, there is talk among his colleagues of taking the drastic and unprecedented step of expelling him from office.

Calls for resignation following arrest

According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, State Sen. Eichorn, 40, allegedly made arrangements to meet on Monday with what he believed was a teenage girl prostitute, but instead turned out to be an undercover detective leading a sting operation for the Bloomington Police Department.

When the lawmaker who has served since 2017 arrived at the designated meeting place, he was greeted by uniformed officers and taken into custody without incident on Monday evening, and as of Tuesday, he remained jailed pending a felony charge of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The stunning allegations against Eichorn prompted an immediate response from his colleagues in the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, which said in a statement, "We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation. Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family."

Minnesota House Republicans weighed in on the situation as well, as Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) and Leader Harry Niska (R) said in a joint statement, "Given the seriousness of the charges, Senator Eichorn should resign. While he is entitled to due process, we must hold legislators to a higher standard."

Some of his fellow legislators were a bit harsher in their condemnations, such as State Sen. Elliot Engen (R), who shared on X a reporter's post of the police statement about the arrest and allegations and wrote, "Resign in disgrace. Prosecute to the fullest. Throw away the key."

Democrat member also faces felony charges but has resisted resignation demands

Interestingly enough, the Star Tribune noted that State Sen. Eichorn is not alone as a member of that legislative body who has been criminally charged with a felony and faces resignation calls, as Democratic State Sen. Nicole Mitchell was charged with two counts of felony burglary last year after she was caught breaking into her late father's house.

Minnesota Senate Democrats, who hold a one-seat majority in the chamber, have been resistant to the demands that Mitchell step down, which some former Republican state senators pointed out as they demanded that Eichorn vacate his seat.

Former State Sen. Kelly Fenton (R) said in an X post about Eichorn, "Zero tolerance for this sick behavior!! Resign immediately. Republicans have opportunity to show leadership and push him out immediately. I’d hate for him to stay as long as the alleged 'cat burglar' Democrat senator!"

Similarly, former State Sen. Pat Garofalo (R) posted on X, "There is no due process in politics. This is an opportunity for the Minnesota Senate to do the right thing and temporarily reduce its membership by 2."

Could face expulsion if he refuses to resign

MPR News reported that if State Sen. Eichorn refuses to resign, there is talk among his GOP colleagues of expelling him from the chamber, an unprecedented move in Minnesota history that will require cooperation from Democrats to reach the necessary two-thirds majority -- a move Minnesota Democrats are only too eager to assist with.

"There is no question that these charges merit expulsion," State Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R) said. "We owe it to the public to hold our members to the highest standards, and this violation of the public trust is so severe we must act. It is my hope that this quick resolution gives Senator Eichorn time to focus on his family."