Democrat wins special election to replace assassinated Minnesota politician
A Democrat, Xp Lee, won a special election in Minnesota to replace Melissa Hortman, teh former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives who was assassinated in June. lee, a former Brooklyn Park city councilman, defeated Republican Ruth Bittner with about 61% of the vote in a predominantly Democratic district. Lee pledged to honor Hortman’s legacy and work hard for his constituents. His victory restores full Democratic portrayal in the Minnesota State House,which is now evenly split between Democrats and Republicans with 67 seats each. This balance will continue the existing power-sharing agreement brokered by Hortman after the 2024 elections. Democratic leaders highlighted the importance of having full representation as they prepare for a potential special legislative session to address recent violence in Minnesota schools and focus on issues like public safety and economic equality.
Democrat wins special election to replace assassinated Minnesota politician
Xp Lee won a special election in Minnesota on Tuesday to replace Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, who was assassinated in June. She was the top Democrat in the House.
Lee is a former city councilman of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the Associated Press reported. He easily defeated his Republican opponent, a real estate agent, Ruth Bittner, winning 60.9% of the vote to Bittner’s 39.1% in a heavily Democratic district. He will now serve as the representative from Minnesota State House District 34B.
Lee said he would work hard to honor Hortman’s legacy in a speech after his election victory.
“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,” read Lee’s statement. “We did our best to make her proud: knocking on doors daily, making phone calls, and texting every neighbor we could.”
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Rep. Zack Stephenson, Hortman’s successor as top Democrat, applauded Lee’s victory and acknowledged it restored his party’s caucus to full representation. This is important, Stephenson suggested, because it is believed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) wants to call a special session to address the recent shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August, reported the Associated Press. The shooting left two students dead and 21 people injured. Stephenson said that Democrats having full representation will help them “prioritize” the safety of children in schools.
“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,” said Stephenson.
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According to reports, Lee will officially be sworn into office after the election results have been certified. His election meant that Minnesota’s State House would have an even split of Democrats and Republicans, with each party holding 67 seats. As a result, both parties will continue a power-sharing agreement that Hortman brokered after the 2024 elections in which Democrats lost their majority, the Associated Press reported.
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