Gov. Tim Walz calls special election for Melissa Hortman's House seat
Hortman, the former House speaker and leader of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus in the House, represented House District 34B, a district that includes Brooklyn Park, as well as parts of Champlin and Coon Rapids.
A special primary election for the seat is now scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 12. The special election is set to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Candidates can begin submitting paperwork to run starting July 15. Affidavits of candidacy and nominating petitions can be submitted to the Anoka and Hennepin county auditors or the Minnesota Secretary of State until July 22.
House District 34B has been without a representative for nearly a month.
In the early morning hours of June 14, Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot at their home by a gunman who was reportedly targeting state lawmakers. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot at their home in Champlin and survived.
Hortman was first elected to the House in 2004 and was in her 11th term in the Legislature. She was elected speaker of the House in 2019, when the DFL took a majority in the House.
Hortman lost the speakership in 2025 after the 2024 election resulted in a House tied 67-67 between the parties.
The House is now split 67-66 between the parties, with Republicans at a one-seat majority.
Hortman had handily won reelection in District 34B and past districts that covered a similar footprint. In 2024, she won reelection with 63% of the vote.
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