Who was Rep. Melissa Hortman, top Democrat in Minnesota House, shot and killed

Melissa Hortman, the top Democratic leader in the Minnesota House, was shot and killed along with her husband by a gunman on Saturday morning.

“My good friend and colleague, Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed early this morning in what appears to be a politically motivated assassination,” Walz said later Saturday morning at a news conference. “Our state has lost a great leader and I lost the dearest of friends.”

Hortman, 55, served as speaker of the state House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025 and shepherded marquee legislation, such as universal free school lunches statewide for Minnesota kids and a red flag gun law, during the historic 2023 session.

When Democrats lost control of the House in last November’s elections, Hortman struck a deal to share power with Republicans that had her step aside as speaker. The legislative session ended after final bills were passed in a special session earlier this week.

“Melissa was very charismatic and serious but also like a captain of a team. I’m devastated,” said state Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul.

Hortman was known at the State Capitol for a sharp intelligence and political skills that bridged divides between moderates and progressives in the Democratic caucus. She stewarded major Democratic priorities on protecting the environment and codifying abortion rights.

An attorney, Hortman and her husband, Mark, had two children. Hortman grew up in the Twin Cities’ northern suburbs, working at her family’s used auto parts company in Blaine in the summers. She attended Boston University and spent time working in Washington, D.C., for then-Sens. Al Gore and John Kerry.

Hortman went on to study law and worked as an attorney and vice president of her family’s auto parts company. In 2004, she won her swing district seat in the House after several bids.