Xp Lee wins special election to replace Melissa Hortman, bringing House back to 67-67 tie

Xp Lee, a health equity analyst for the Minnesota Department of Health and a former member of the Brooklyn Park City Council, won a special election Tuesday in Minnesota House District 34B in the north metro, replacing the late Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated in June.

By defeating Republican nominee Ruth Bittner, Lee will join the Democratic-Farmer-Labor House caucus, whose 67 members share power with 67 Republicans in the 134-member lower chamber.

“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,” Lee said in a statement. Preliminary returns showed Lee winning by more than 20 points in the low turnout special.

Lee was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after his family fled Laos amid the Vietnam War.

Lee told the Reformer this summer that if elected he’d focus on health care and education, including the wide disparities in both — Minnesotans’ health and education outcomes are significantly impacted by the zip codes where they live and were raised.

Lee also said he lives not too far from the home of Melissa and Mark Hortman, who were killed by a gunman on June 14.

”We’ve just had a lot of conversations with neighbors and other residents close by — remembering her and just really feeling about what we can do to move forward. And part of this is also, of course, to take up her legacy at the Capitol,” Lee said.

The Legislature is currently not in session, but Gov. Tim Walz — who announced Tuesday he’ll seek a third term in 2026 — has said he wants to call a special legislative session to enact gun control laws after a gunman sprayed bullets at Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis last month, killing two and wounding 21 others.

Republicans who share power in the Minnesota House are unlikely to agree to any new gun regulations, however.