Democrats Hold On After Tragic Killing, Minnesota House Deadlocks Again
The seat once held by Melissa Hortman stayed blue in Tuesday’s special election. Xp Lee, the Democrat, beat Republican Ruth Bittner in a suburban Minneapolis district, the Associated Press reports. It was a tight race, but not a shock in a blue-leaning area.
The result slams the Minnesota House back into a 67-67 tie. That means the same power-sharing setup from after the 2024 elections will return. Lawmakers will have to split control, negotiate leadership, and grimly soldier on.
This election was held in the shadow of horror. Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed at their home in June in what prosecutors call political assassinations. Authorities say Vance Boelter posed as a police officer while carrying out the attacks. He’s charged in the deaths and accused of shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at a nearby house.
The national headlines kept piling up. The special election came a week after the alleged assassination of conservative commentator and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk stunned the country and forced Hortman’s murder back into the spotlight.
Lee has a compelling backstory. He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled the Vietnam War. He told the AP that continuing Hortman’s work drove him to run. “I wouldn’t be running if it wasn’t for the murder of Melissa Hortman. So, I am very conscious of political and gun violence. So, I want to help our community heal,” Lee said.
Bittner, a real estate agent, struck a respectful tone about Hortman to Minnesota public radio. Hortman, she said, “was a very unique individual. We will not be trying to replace her.”
Minnesota has been rocked by several violent incidents lately. A shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis left two young students dead and 21 people injured. Those tragedies have many voters feeling raw and demanding answers on safety and enforcement.
With control split, expect gridlock. Expect more sharp political fights. Republicans will push for clearer security and accountability. Democrats will push their own priorities. Lawmakers will have to compromise or risk paralysis.
For now, the focus is on healing and on finding a way forward in a state shaken by violence and grief.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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