Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were fatally shot Saturday morning in Brooklyn Park in what Gov. Tim Walz said “appears to be a politically motivated assassination.” Walz said another Democratic lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife were also shot.
Something to be aware of. Minnesota is deeply gerrymandered in favor of Republicans which has led to a congress where Democrats own both houses by a single seat. Minnesota is also a key swing state where Republicans have been fighting hard to maintain or implement voter suppression measures. I don’t know how split houses work in Minnesota or if/how they fill vacancies, but this could have major implications nationwide. Democrats need to deal with their grief and anger, but also fight like hell for Democracy in the coming days.