On September 16, 2025, voters in Minnesota’s House District 34B made their voices heard in a special election that was anything but routine. The contest, held in the shadow of tragedy, saw Democrat Xp Lee claim a decisive victory, earning more than 60% of the vote over Republican challenger Ruth Bittner. This result not only filled the seat left vacant by the assassination of longtime DFL leader Melissa Hortman but also restored the Minnesota House of Representatives to an evenly split 67-67 tie, a political balance that’s as delicate as it is rare, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune and Forum News Service.
The circumstances that led to this election were somber. Melissa Hortman, who had represented Brooklyn Park, Champlin, and Coon Rapids since 2004, was killed alongside her husband, Mark, and their dog in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14. The suspected assassin, Vance Boelter, faces federal and state charges not only for the murders of the Hortmans but also for the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman, his wife Yvette, and daughter Hope, as reported by Forum News Service.
For many in the community, the loss still feels raw. Hortman’s leadership had spanned two decades, and she was a fixture in local and state politics, winning her most recent election in November 2024 with 63% of the vote. Her legacy, as her successor Xp Lee put it, was one of breaking barriers and paving pathways for others. “I am honored to have been elected to represent my neighbors in Brooklyn Park, Champlin, and Coon Rapids,” Lee said in a statement on election night. “I have never lost sight of the situation that brought us to this moment, and I will work hard every day to carry forward Speaker Melissa Hortman’s legacy.”
Lee’s own story is one of public service and community engagement. Before running for the House, he worked as a health equity analyst for the Minnesota Department of Health and served as a member of the Brooklyn Park City Council. In August, Lee told the Minnesota Star Tribune that he felt compelled to run “to take up her legacy of leadership. She paved pathways for a lot of us.”
The campaign itself was marked by stark contrasts—not just in policy, but in approach. Lee’s campaign raised about $70,000, focusing its resources on canvassing and campaign materials, while Bittner, a real estate agent, collected about half as much and spent only around $7,000, mostly on mailings and her campaign website. In the end, the numbers told the story: Lee secured 61% of the vote to Bittner’s 39%, according to Forum News Service.
Policy differences were clear throughout the campaign. Lee pledged to expand state-sponsored health insurance, invest in public education, and support limits on assault-style weapons. Bittner, meanwhile, positioned herself as a pragmatic alternative, promising to crack down on defrauding state-administered benefits, reduce state spending and taxes, and invest in law enforcement. “I really wanted to run just to be a voice and a choice,” Bittner told the Minnesota Star Tribune in August.
The outcome of this special election reverberated far beyond District 34B. With Lee’s victory, the Minnesota House returned to a rare 67-67 tie. Reflecting on the new balance, Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) recalled her working relationship with Hortman during the previous tied session. “Working with Melissa over the last year, it was basically ‘Team House,’ and that was kind of a term that we used together as we looked at the work being done,” Demuth told Forum News Service after her first leadership meeting with Hortman’s successor as House DFL Leader, Rep. Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids. “So being back in this room, realizing, in a tie, we still need to be ‘Team House,’ but not expecting leader Stephenson to take Melissa’s place in any way.”
The political stakes are high. The special election for Hortman’s seat is just one of six in Minnesota this year, matching a record set in 1994, according to the Legislative Reference Library. Two more special elections are scheduled for November 4 to fill open Senate seats left vacant by the resignation of former Sen. Nicole Mitchell and the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson. The Senate currently holds a narrow 33-32 DFL majority, meaning every seat is critical in shaping the state’s legislative agenda.
Governor Tim Walz, who counted Hortman as both friend and colleague, has announced plans to call a special legislative session later this fall. His aim? To address gun violence—an issue thrust into the spotlight not only by Hortman’s death but also by the Annunciation Church shooting on August 27, which killed two children and injured 21 others, including 18 children. Walz’s call for action underscores the urgency many Minnesotans feel about public safety and gun reform. As reported by Forum News Service, the governor’s initiative is expected to take center stage in the coming months, with lawmakers from both parties preparing for what promises to be a contentious debate.
Lee’s victory has drawn praise from Democratic leaders. “I offer a heartfelt congratulations to Xp Lee on his victory in tonight’s special election,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin in a statement. “Xp’s commitment to expanding access to education, affordable health care, and good-paying jobs honors the legacy of our dear friend, Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman.”
But the path ahead is fraught with challenges. With the House now evenly divided, every vote will count, and bipartisanship will be more necessity than choice. The leadership transition, too, is being watched closely. On September 9, Speaker Demuth and new House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson held their first leadership meeting, setting the tone for a session that will demand collaboration and, perhaps, a little patience from both sides of the aisle.
For the residents of Brooklyn Park, Champlin, and Coon Rapids, the special election was more than just a chance to choose a new representative. It was an opportunity to honor the memory of a beloved leader, to affirm the values she championed, and to chart a course forward in the face of adversity. As Lee steps into his new role, he does so with the weight of history on his shoulders—and the hopes of a community determined to move forward, together.
The coming months will test Minnesota’s lawmakers as they grapple with the urgent issues of gun violence, public safety, and political gridlock. Yet, as the dust settles from this extraordinary election, one thing is clear: the spirit of service and resilience that defined Melissa Hortman’s career lives on in those she inspired—and in those who now carry her legacy forward.
