Democrat Xp Lee defeated Republican Ruth Bittner in a special election Tuesday for Minnesota House District 34B, preserving the seat once held by former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and leaving the chamber evenly divided at 67-67, according to the Associated Press.
Lee’s victory, in a blue-leaning suburban Minneapolis district, will restore a power-sharing deal between Democrats and Republicans that was negotiated after Democrats lost their majority in the 2024 elections. The special election, held Sept. 16, 2025, followed months of national attention on the June killings of Hortman and her husband, Mark, whom prosecutors say were the victims of a politically motivated attack.
Prosecutors have charged Vance Boelter in the June deaths and say he impersonated a police officer as he carried out what they describe as "political assassinations". Boelter is also accused of shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at a nearby home, and he was arrested after a manhunt in mid-June, authorities said.
Lee told the Associated Press before the election that continuing Hortman’s legacy was a central motivation for his candidacy. “I wouldn’t be running if it wasn’t for the murder of Melissa Hortman. So, I am very conscious of political and gun violence. So, I want to help our community heal,” he said. Lee was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled the Vietnam War.
Bittner, a real estate agent and the Republican nominee, campaigned in the district and said in an interview with Minnesota public radio that she considered Hortman "a very unique individual" and that Republicans would not try to replace the late representative. The race drew attention from both parties because of its implications for control of the House and because it followed a series of high-profile violent incidents that have heightened concerns about political and public safety in Minnesota and nationally.
The outcome revives the negotiating framework that divides committee assignments and legislative scheduling between the parties, a stopgap arrangement enacted after the 2024 elections when Democrats lost their clear majority. With the chamber evenly split, leadership in the House must again rely on that bipartisan agreement to conduct business.
The special election also came as national attention to political violence surged. The vote occurred about a week after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, an event that briefly refocused public and media scrutiny on the June slayings of Hortman and her husband. Minnesota officials also responded to a separate mass shooting last month at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, in which two children were killed and 21 people were injured.
Authorities have said Boelter used deception to gain access to homes and that he targeted public officials. Prosecutors have characterized the killings of Hortman and her husband as politically motivated, and charges filed in connection with the incidents include counts related to the murders and the shootings of the Hoffmans.
Minnesota political leaders responded to the election result by noting the need to proceed under the established power-sharing terms. The split further underscores the narrow margins shaping state legislatures across the country, where a single seat can determine which party controls agendas, committee chairs and the pace of legislation.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.