Education Minnesota mourns assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman
“No greater champion for Minnesota’s students, educators and the public good:” Education Minnesota mourns assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman
In recent years, Minnesota has made historic investments in public education – none of which would have been possible without the leadership of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who had been the leader of the Minnesota House DFL since 2017 and a fixture of Minnesota politics for over two decades.
In the early hours of June 14, days after the Legislature adjourned their special session, Hortman and her husband Mark were assassinated in a series of politically-motivated attacks that also wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, an Osseo educator and Education Minnesota member.
After losing two elections, Hortman was elected to the Minnesota House in 2004. She held onto her swing seat for 11 election cycles following that initial win. As a legislator, Hortman was dedicated, passionate and collaborative. She could find common ground with anyone and had a knack for bringing people together. She had a grand vision for how government could help Minnesotans, and when she had the opportunity during the 2023-24 DFL trifecta, she brought many aspects of that grand vision to life through programs such as Earned Sick and Safe Time, Paid Family Medical Leave and linking education funding to inflation to ensure that public schools receive stable, consistent revenue.
In a June statement , former Education Minnesota President Denise Specht praised Hortman’s work on behalf of Minnesota families and schools. “She was a courageous, brilliant and strategic leader who was struck down by a horrific act of violence,” Specht said. “There was no greater champion for students, educators and the public good than Melissa Hortman.”
After the attack, Melissa and Mark’s children Sophie and Colin released a statement in which they provided seven ways to honor the Hortman’s:
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.
