Dear Neighbors,
It is with a heavy heart that I send this e-update. As you likely know, my friend and colleague Melissa Hortman was murdered in her home along with her husband Mark. The assassin also shot and injured Senator Hoffman and his family. These acts of political violence have shaken us deeply.
Melissa served over 20 years in the House, and I have had the privilege of knowing her since 2017. She was a brilliant leader serving as Speaker, leading the House through many challenging times including the pandemic, murder of George Floyd, and civil unrest. In both her time as Speaker and in her role this year as Speaker Emerita, she guided the State through divided government, finding compromise when others thought it was impossible. Melissa led some of the most consequential work in our state’s history, including transformational investments and policy changes to make Minnesota work better for everyone. Her legacy will live on through that work.
As a friend and colleague, Melissa worked to empower others to lead and lifted up that work. She led with humility and humor. At the beginning of this session, I was honored when she asked me to nominate her as Speaker. You can watch that speech here. We knew she would not be elected as Speaker because she had selflessly given up that role as part of the power-sharing agreement during the tied House.
I want to thank all of you who have reached out to offer your support and well wishes. I have heard from people on all sides of the political spectrum, and it reminds me that we have more in common than what separates us. I also want to thank the law enforcement officials who acted proactively on that horrible night, those who bravely apprehended the suspect, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office for their personal support.
My heart breaks for the Hortman children. While experiencing unthinkable grief, they offered the following suggestions to all of us on how to best honor the memory of their parents.
- Plant a tree.
- Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.
- Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.
- Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.?
- Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.
- Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.
- Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.
As we remember Mark and Melissa, we also keep the Hoffman family close in our thoughts, too, and offer wishes for a complete recovery.
Members of the public wishing to pay their respects are invited to the State Capitol rotunda Friday, June 27 between noon and 5 p.m. when Melissa and Mark Hortman, along with Gilbert, will lie in state. Melissa will be the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans to lie in state in the Capitol. You can watch the livestream of this here.
On Saturday, June 28 at 10:30 a.m., a private funeral will take place. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will livestream the services on its YouTube channel.
Sincerely,
Rep. Kelly Moller