Minnesota House deadlocked after Democrats win special election to fill seat of slain lawmaker

Democrats will hold onto the legislative seat once held by Melissa Hortman, the former Democratic Minnesota House speaker who, along with her husband, was killed at their home in June in what prosecutors describe as a political assassination.

Democratic Party nominee Xp Lee defeated Republican nominee Ruth Bittner in a special election Tuesday in a suburban Minneapolis state House district, according to the Associated Press. 

Lee’s victory in the blue-leaning district will once again deadlock the Minnesota House, with Democrats and Republicans each holding 67 seats in the chamber. And it will restore a power-sharing deal between the two parties hammered out after the Democrats lost their majority in the 2024 elections.

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The special election was held a week after the assassination of conservative firebrand, commentator, and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk rocked the nation and thrust Hortman’s murder back into the spotlight.

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Prosecutors charge that alleged gunman Vance Boelter impersonated a police officer as he carried out what they call the “political assassinations” of Hortman and her husband, Mark. Boelter is also charged with shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their nearby home.

Lee, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled the Vietnam War, told the AP ahead of the election that continuing Hortman’s legacy was a major motivator in his campaign.

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“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, told public radio in Minnesota that Hortman “was a very unique individual. We will not be trying to replace her.”

Minnesota was further rocked by violence late last month, when two young school children were killed and 21 people injured in a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.