DFL candidate Xp Lee wins District 34B special election

Xp Lee won the District 34B special election Tuesday, which will return the House to a 67-67 tie after he is sworn in.

The DFLer won with 60.8% of the vote over Republican candidate Ruth Bittner’s 39.1%, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Lee is a health equity analyst at the Department of Health and a former Brooklyn Park city councilor. He said his win Tuesday is a “thank you” for everything the community has given him.

Rep.-elect XP Lee (DFL-Brooklyn Park)

“My story is proof of what’s possible in our country and our state: I was born in a refugee camp, our family got our papers, and we came to this country when I was 10 months old. I worked hard in school, later I joined a union, and I have been serving my community in every way I can,” he said in a statement.

In a statement, House DFL Caucus Leader Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) congratulated Lee for his win Tuesday. “Xp Lee is going to make a fantastic member of our team. He’s a union member, a father, and a testament to what’s possible when we make sure we don’t leave anyone behind. His story is the American Dream.”

He will fill the seat left vacant by the death of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), who was killed along with her husband in their home June 14. Lee said his campaign team did their best to make Hortman proud.

“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,” he said.