Democrats retained the suburban Minneapolis seat once held by former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman after Democratic nominee Xp Lee defeated Republican Ruth Bittner in a special election Tuesday, leaving the state House evenly split at 67-67.
The result restores a power-sharing agreement between the parties that was put in place after Democrats lost their majority in the 2024 elections, according to officials and post-election reporting. Control of the chamber will remain subject to that arrangement while investigations into the killings that left the seat vacant continue.
The seat became vacant after Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in June. Prosecutors have described the slayings as political assassinations and have charged 52-year-old Vance Boelter with impersonating a police officer while carrying out the attacks. Boelter is also charged with shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and Hoffman's wife at a nearby home, authorities have said.
Lee, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled the Vietnam War, told The Associated Press before the vote that continuing Hortman's legacy was a driving force behind his campaign. "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," Lee said.
Bittner, a real estate agent and the Republican nominee, said in an interview with Minnesota public radio that Hortman "was a very unique individual. We will not be trying to replace her." The race was held in a blue-leaning district in the Twin Cities suburbs.
The special election came amid heightened attention to political violence. Fox News reported the vote occurred roughly a week after another high-profile political killing drew national coverage, an event that renewed focus on Hortman's slaying and on safety concerns for public officials.
State and local leaders have cited other recent acts of violence as part of broader concerns over public safety. In late August, two young students were killed and dozens were wounded in a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, an incident that prompted statewide mourning and renewed calls for action on gun violence.
With the House split evenly, the restored power-sharing deal outlines procedures for committee assignments, legislative scheduling and leadership duties that the two parties negotiated after November's elections. That agreement is expected to govern the chamber’s operations while both parties maintain equal numbers of members.
Lee’s victory is likely to keep the legislature operating under that fragile balance until regular elections alter the composition of the House. Prosecutors said their cases in the shootings remain active, and law enforcement officials have not announced a timetable for further court proceedings related to the charges against Boelter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
