MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement:

“John and I are devastated and heartbroken by the horrific murders of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the horrific attack on Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Melissa Hortman was a good friend and we started in politics at the same time and I still remember the two of us going door to door in her first legislative campaign. She was a true public servant to the core, dedicating her life to serving Minnesotans with integrity and compassion. As Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, she led efforts to protect women’s rights, invest in clean energy, and secure free school lunch for kids. She was beloved by her colleagues. 

I want to thank the brave law enforcement officers who are working in real time to protect Minnesotans and ensure there is accountability for these horrific crimes.

Let me be absolutely clear: this was an act of targeted political violence, and it was an attack on everything we stand for as a democracy. We must all condemn it. And we must refuse to be a country where anyone is silenced by threats or violence. 

To Melissa’s and Mark’s family, Melissa’s colleagues in the Minnesota Legislature, and everyone mourning across our state: I grieve with you. And I will honor their legacy not just in words, but through action — by protecting our democracy, by standing up to hate, and by continuing the work they so passionately believed in.”

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