Democrat wins Minnesota special election to replace slain lawmaker

Democratic candidate Xp Lee is projected to win the special election to replace slain former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL), who was assassinated during a shooting in June that also killed her husband, according to Decision Desk HQ. 

Lee, a health equity analyst, defeated Republican candidate Ruth Bittner, a real estate agent, for a state House seat that covers portions of Hennepin County and Anoka County. The seat, House District 34B, is Democrat-leaning. 

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, who once helmed the state Democratic Party in Minnesota, also celebrated Lee's win in a statement, saying "I’ve seen Rep-elect Lee’s leadership up close while he was a Brooklyn Park City Councilmember and I have no doubt he’ll continue that leadership as a statehouse member."

Ahead of the election, House Republicans maintained a 67-66 edge. Lee’s win restores partisan control in the lower chamber back to a 67-67 tie. 

“Rep.-elect Xp Lee’s win restores a tie in the Minnesota House and honors the legacy of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who is deeply missed by DFLers across Minnesota and by the DLCC," said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams in a statement. "Expanding opportunities for working families to thrive is the best way to honor her legacy, and that’s exactly what DFLers will be able to do with Rep.-elect Lee’s leadership. The DLCC is committed to supporting Minnesota DFLers every step of the way, now and into 2026 when all 134 House District seats will be up for election.”

Hortman and her husband were murdered at their home early in the morning in mid-June, with another lawmaker and his wife also suffering gun wounds during a separate shooting that same morning.  

A 58-year-old Minnesota man accused of killing the former Minnesota House speaker and her husband, and wounding a separate lawmaker and his wife, was indicted on state and federal murder charges, among other charges. 

The shootings shook the country, coming less than a year after President Trump faced several assassination attempts while on the campaign trail.  

The special election to replace Hortman is also taking place less than a week after the country is reeling from another assassination, in Utah, where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event on a college campus.  

The uptick in threats and murders against lawmakers and prominent individuals comes amid increasing concern over rising political violence across the country.