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.
