By Eniola Amadu
Democrat Xp Lee has won a special election in Minnesota to succeed the late House Speaker Melissa Hortman, restoring a 67-67 partisan balance in the state House and preserving a power-sharing deal between Democrats and Republicans.
Lee, a former Brooklyn Park City Council member, defeated Republican candidate Ruth Bittner, a real estate agent, in the heavily Democratic district.
He pledged to honour Hortman’s legacy, saying: “We did our best to make her proud: knocking on doors daily, making phone calls, and texting every neighbor we could.”
Hortman’s legacy and the power-sharing deal
Hortman, who represented Brooklyn Park, was assassinated in June alongside her husband, Mark, in an attack that also injured another legislator and his wife.
Before her death, Hortman had brokered a power-sharing arrangement after Democrats lost their majority in the 2024 elections.
Under the deal, she stepped down as House Speaker after six years, handing the gavel to Republican Lisa Demuth, while taking the title of speaker emerita. Committees were evenly split between the two parties, with co-chairs from both sides.
Lee’s victory ensures Democrats maintain equal footing with Republicans in the chamber as Gov. Tim Walz considers calling a special session to address school security and gun violence following a church shooting last month that killed two students and injured 21 others.
Reactions from Xp Lee party leaders
Minnesota House Democratic leader Zack Stephenson, a close ally of Hortman, said Lee’s win strengthens their caucus: “That means we’ll prioritize the safety of our kids instead of access to weapons of war, and we’ll make our economy work better for all Minnesotans, not just the billionaires.”
National Democrats also took note. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin described Lee’s victory as a tribute to Hortman’s work, adding: “Political violence is a scourge that has taken far too many lives. Enough is enough. It must end now.”
Political violence concerns
The election took place against the backdrop of rising anxieties over violence targeting public figures. Last week, conservative activist https://x.com/TPUSA?t=4khKfOUgVR6ZH5P8CaPadA&s=09 was assassinated in Utah, an event that weighed on both candidates during the campaign.
Lee said he hoped to ease tensions in the charged political climate, while Bittner admitted the violence briefly made her reconsider running, but added: “There’s no way to solve this problem if we shrink back in fear.”
Upcoming elections
Two additional special elections are scheduled for 4 November to fill vacancies in the state Senate.
One will replace Democratic senator Nicole Mitchell, who resigned after a burglary conviction, while the other will replace Republican senator Bruce Anderson, who died in July.
The contests are expected to maintain the Senate’s partisan balance, as each seat lies in a strongly partisan district.
