Politics in Minnesota isn't usually this loud. Or this heavy. But when you look at the Melissa Hortman special election, you're not just looking at a tally of votes or a change in seating charts. You are looking at the aftermath of a tragedy that basically rewrote the rules of engagement in St. Paul.
Let’s be real. Most people think special elections are just low-turnout fillers. They’re usually the "boring" parts of the political cycle. Not this one. This race was about a 67-67 tie, a power-sharing deal that felt like a precarious Jenga tower, and the literal life-and-death stakes of public service.
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The Tragedy That Nobody Saw Coming
You can't talk about the election without talking about why it happened. In June 2025, the state was rocked when Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. The details were the stuff of a nightmare—an attacker posing as a police officer. It wasn't just a political loss; it was a visceral shock to the community.
Hortman had been in the House for two decades. She was the one who brokered the 2025 power-sharing agreement with Republican Leader Lisa Demuth after the 2024 elections ended in a deadlock. She was a giant in the DFL, and suddenly, there was a hole in District 34B.
Who Actually Stepped Up?
When the special election was called for September 16, 2025, the stakes were sky-high. If the GOP won, they’d take the majority. If the DFL held on, the 67-67 tie remained.
Enter Xp Lee.
Lee wasn't a career politician, though he had served on the Brooklyn Park City Council. He’s a former refugee, a father, and someone who actually grew up using the social services he was now campaigning to protect. He was running against Republican Ruth Bittner, a real estate agent who, to her credit, admitted the violence of the summer made her hesitate before jumping into the race.
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Bittner’s campaign focused on fiscal responsibility and "eliminating fraud," while Lee leaned hard into Hortman's legacy: education, healthcare, and—understandably—gun reform.
The Results and the Reality Check
The election wasn't even close. Lee pulled in about 61% of the vote, which is pretty much exactly what Hortman used to get. He won 4,331 to 2,785.
But here is where most people get the "why" wrong. It wasn't just a "blue district stays blue" story. It was a "we are tired of the chaos" story. The turnout was decent for a special, but the mood was somber. I talked to folks in Brooklyn Park who said they weren't voting for a party as much as they were voting for stability.
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What This Means for the 2026 Session
So, Xp Lee gets sworn in, and the House goes back to a 67-67 tie. What does that actually look like in practice?
- Shared Gavels: Committees stay split. You have co-chairs from both parties. Nothing moves without a handshake.
- The "Hortman Rule": There’s a renewed focus on Capitol security. The 2026 session, which starts in February, is already shadowed by the need for better protection for lawmakers.
- Legislative Gridlock (or Not): Curiously, the tie has forced people to actually talk. Governor Tim Walz has had to be a lot more surgical with his budget asks.
Honestly, the "Melissa Hortman special election" was a litmus test for whether the state could keep functioning under the weight of political violence. With Lee’s win, the DFL kept their seat at the table, but the table itself is still split right down the middle.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re following Minnesota politics, don’t just look at the 2026 general election. Watch the special session dynamics this winter.
- Track the Gun Legislation: This is the big one. With Lee in the House, the DFL has the numbers to push for the "red flag" expansions Hortman championed, but they still need to flip at least one Republican or hold every single one of their own in a tie-break scenario.
- Check the District 34B Updates: Lee is a new voice. See if he sticks to the "work across the aisle" promise or if the pressure of a tied House forces him into a more partisan corner.
- Watch the Senate: Remember, there were other vacancies (like Nicole Mitchell's seat). The balance of power in the whole building is basically on a knife's edge until the 2026 midterms.
The era of the "trifecta" in Minnesota is over for now. We’re in the era of the "forced handshake," and the special election in 34B was the final piece of that puzzle.