Democrat Xp Lee won the Minnesota House special election on Tuesday, filling the seat left vacant by Rep Melissa Hortman, a top Democratic leader who was tragically assassinated in June.
Lee, a former Brooklyn Park City Council member and health equity analyst, defeated Republican real estate agent Ruth Bittner in the heavily Democratic district.
Lee previously won a three-way Democratic primary in August. Top Minnesota Democrats, including governor Tim Walz and senator Amy Klobuchar, campaigned in his favor. Bittner ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Lee’s victory restores the 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House, preserving the bipartisan power-sharing agreement established after the 2024 elections. The arrangement, brokered by Hortman, allowed Republican Lisa Demuth to become House Speaker while Hortman became speaker emerita.
Most legislative committees remain evenly split, requiring bipartisan agreement to pass bills during the 2025 legislative session.
Assassination of Melissa Hortman
The special election comes after the shocking assassination of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark on June 14 in their Brooklyn Park home by a man impersonating a police officer. Another legislator and spouse were also shot but survived. Vance Boelter, 57, faces federal and state murder, attempted murder, and other charges.
Lee said he wants to calm the “charged atmosphere” following recent acts of political violence, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. Bittner added that the violence briefly gave her pause about running but stated, “there’s no way to solve this problem if we shrink back in fear.”
Upcoming special elections in Minnesota
Two more special elections are scheduled for November 4 in Minnesota senate districts. One is for the Democratic seat vacated by senator Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury, who resigned after a conviction, and the other is for the Republican seat vacated by senator Bruce Anderson of Buffalo, who died in July.
Control of the senate is not expected to change due to the partisan nature of the districts. If the Democratic candidate for Mitchell’s seat wins, the governor will have to call another special election to fill the House seat.
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