Melissa Hortman
Melissa Anne Hortman (née Haluptzok; May 27, 1970 – June 14, 2025) was a former Democratic state representative from Minnesota, serving from 2005 to 2025. She held the position of Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025, after previously serving as House Minority Leader from 2017 to 2019. Although a member of the Democratic Party, Hortman was considered one of the most moderate voices in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She notably voted against policies that would have extended taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants,[1] earning praise from conservatives who saw this as a stand for fiscal responsibility and national sovereignty.
Tragically, on June 14, 2025, Hortman and her husband were murdered in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The alleged perpetrator was reported to have been a former employee of Democratic Governor Tim Walz.[2]
Despite initial claims from mainstream media suggesting the suspect's alignment with far-right "MAGA" ideologies, there was no substantiated evidence to support the claim that he had ever identified with the Republican Party. In fact, records show he had not voted Republican since 2004, casting doubt on the media's characterization of the tragedy.