Democrat Xp Lee wins special election to replace murdered Minnesota representative

Democrat Xp Lee won a special election for a Minnesota House seat that belonged to the late Melissa Hortman, who was murdered in June. Lee defeated Republican Ruth Bittner with 61% of the vote, creating a 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House.

The election happened after a tragic event where Hortman and her husband were killed by a man pretending to be a police officer in Brooklyn Park. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also shot but survived. Both Lee and Bittner talked about the difficult political situation.

Lee, who was a Brooklyn Park City Council member before, said he wants to create opportunities for Minnesota families. His victory keeps a power-sharing agreement in the House that Hortman helped create before she died. The House now has equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, so they must work together to pass laws.