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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Anna Betts and Lauren Gambino

Democrat wins special election to fill seat of Minnesota lawmaker who was killed

a bouquet of flowers and a framed photograph of a woman on a desk
A memorial for Melissa Hortman at her desk in the House chambers in St Paul, Minnesota, on 16 June 2025. Photograph: Steven Garcia/Getty Images

Democrat Xp Lee won a special election to fill the state house seat of the former Minnesota house speaker Melissa Hortman, who was killed in June alongside her husband in what officials described as a “politically motivated assassination”.

Lee, a health equity analyst, former Brooklyn Park city council member and a mentee of Hortman’s, triumphed over Republican Ruth Bittner, a real estate agent, in a heavily Democratic, suburban district. His victory restored a legislative tie in the state house, with each party controlling 67 seats.

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