Educators mourn assassination of education champion Melissa Hortman and shooting of state senator
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota. June 14, 2025 – Minnesota educators mourn the loss of a dedicated lawmaker and staunch champion of public education, House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated as part of a series of attacks early Saturday that also killed her husband and wounded a state senator and his wife.
“These vile acts cut to the heart of what educators teach about America,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. “We tell our students that we are a nation that settles its differences with debate and deliberation, compromise and consensus – not through assassinations and fear. Educators are hoping Minnesotans will come together to condemn this violence and demand a return to the democratic values of empathy, justice and the rule of law that we all learned in school.”
Specht praised Hortman for her years of work in the Minnesota Legislature on behalf of Minnesota’s children, working people and their families.
“There was no greater champion for Minnesota’s students, educators and the common good than Melissa Hortman,” Specht said. “She was a courageous, brilliant and strategic leader who was struck down by a hideous act of violence. She was also a good friend. Our union’s condolences go out to her family.”
Official reports indicate a man posing as a police officer shot and killed Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their home in Brooklyn Park. Shortly before, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times at their home in Champlin, a few miles away. The Hoffmans were expected to survive; Mark Hortman was pronounced dead Saturday morning.
“The educators of our union wish a full and speedy recovery for Sen. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, an educator herself,” Specht said. “John and Yvette, we send you strength and prayers in this terrible time.”
Based on the evidence gathered so far, Gov. Tim Walz on Saturday morning called the shooting of Melissa Hortman a “politically motivated assassination.” A document was recovered from the suspect’s vehicle that law endorsement officials described as a “manifesto” containing the names of multiple public officials. The suspect was still at large early Saturday afternoon.
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
