Demuth says this is ‘not a time for partisanship’ as the House processes loss of Hortman
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The Minnesota House of Representatives is reeling from the loss of Rep. Melissa Hortman.
Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed early Saturday morning in what Gov. Tim Walz called a “politically motivated shooting.”
Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, served as Speaker of the Minnesota House from 2019 through 2025. Over the last six months, Hortman stepped aside and agreed to serve as speaker emerita after Democrats lost the House majority in November.
She helped negotiate a budget deal with Walz and Republican Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth that was passed last week.
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Rep. Demuth spoke with MPR News senior politics reporter Clay Masters about how she and the rest of the Legislature is processing Hortman’s death and what comes next.
I’m curious to know how you found out about this Saturday morning. How did you hear about it, and what precautions were given to you?
Early, very early, Saturday morning, I received a call from our Sergeant at Arms, and as we talked through and then with so many unknowns, I did contact my local law enforcement, there was so much that was unknown.
And then shortly, were able to send out guidance to members as needed a little bit later, and then working with our staff as we walked through the first couple of hours.
This was supposed to be an interview that followed up with a conversation with Representative Hortman to discuss the end of a very long and tumultuous legislative session. How are you processing the grief that you’re having right now?
You know, when I think our one-day special session was just a week ago today, it kind of feels like a lifetime ago. As I’ve reflected, though, on the conversations that I’ve had with Melissa, we had a really good working relationship.
And I’m grateful the last time I spoke with her was Monday night at the end, because we got done much earlier than expected, and we had been in communication and spending quite a bit of time together. But as far as processing, I don’t, I don’t know if there's a way to process.
My concern is, you know, thinking about her family and the Hoffmans as they’re recovering, but just the loss of safety, a feeling of safety for our whole state. So I think just minute by minute.
I know I was looking through, we were on the same boat for the fishing opener, and I had looked at a couple of pictures yesterday, and I have had people send an occasional picture, you know, where we’ve been together, whether it’s a press conference or fishing or something like that. And I don’t know, is that how you process something so horrific?
Little less than a month ago, during a press conference where you were appearing together, I asked if you trusted each other. She told me my question was weird, and then did answer the question. But with her gone, as you reflect on your relationship, how do you feel about the relationship that you had with Melissa Hortman?
I feel like it was very good. We really did get along behind the scenes. You know, we didn’t agree on everything politically. That was very, very clear. But I think looking at her leadership, she’s the only speaker I’ve served under.
When she came in in ‘19 and I came in as a new legislator, I, you know, just watched from afar how she led, and then when I became the minority leader in ‘23 even though there was full one-party control in the state, she didn’t have to meet with me. She didn't need to do that, but she had reached out very early, and both congratulated me, but said, you know, I want us to get to know each other and to work well together.
And we started, then meeting weekly as we went through the full ‘23 and ‘24 and, you know, there was a lot that was done that I really did disagree with, but she was always very honest, very, you know, kind of laying out what to expect.
You know, we would go through kind of a schedule. And it was her and I, our chiefs of staff, and then usually one, you know, like one or two more people in the room, and it was so good to build that working relationship.
Then when we came to the tie, and the text that I got from her the night of the election, about 2:30 in the morning, “looks like we're going to be working in a tie.” And I said, “here we go,” and “I’ll talk to you in the morning or later.”
And then, you know, the bumpy start where it was a tie, and then it was, you know, not a tie for a period of time, and working through all of that really hard time, but yet we were able to come up to the point that we were working together.
And I would say that, although I am speaker for two years, we led the body because of the tie together and really empowering our chairs, the co-chairs, empowering them to do the work that. Needed to be done toward the end of session, then negotiating.
And I learned a lot from that process with her where, you know, they would maybe need something, thinking leadership could just handle it. She's like, “No, they can still work on it on their own.” And then there were times we did, you know, give some assistance.
And so just watching and learning from that, I would say, I look at her as a mentor in leadership just from observation. And I think that is really an important thing to recognize that you don’t have to align exactly politically to learn from another leader. And I am grateful for that.
How do you navigate the personal grief with holding an institution together, which as Speaker of the House you face?
I’m most concerned about the entire House of Representatives, but specifically the DFL caucus, because they are feeling this even deeper because of the close proximity. But it does affect everyone in the chamber, but it also affects nonpartisan staff, our chief clerk, and so I’ve had many conversations with many people from those different areas.
My intent is to be as helpful and a resource to the DFL caucus, but giving them space right now and then, doing whatever is needed to walk through the next hours, days and then much longer.
Are there conversations that are currently taking place or that need to be taking place about security at the Capitol or for lawmakers’ homes, and what does that look like and when would that take shape?
Our Sergeant at Arms and Capital Security have been great resources, and we’ve been in communication since Saturday. That’s going to look different as things continue to go forward, but it is being well handled.
How should your party respond to sudden change in the house make up through tragedy? I mean, it puts your caucus in a political advantage. There could be another special session. I mean, do you think about that kind of political side here, and how do you navigate that, when there could be another special session in the not-too-distant future?
I am really grateful that we were able to get the work done for the state budget when we did a week ago, not having any idea that our whole state would have changed like this. The way that I look at it, though, is this is not a time for partisanship at all. I don’t see that.
And so looking forward, knowing that you know, if there is need for a special session or going forward, I would say that anyone on either side of the aisle needs to respond with compassion and kindness and be able to get the work done.
And I think the working relationship that Melissa and I had together that we could disagree on things, but we didn’t have to be cruel to each other in the process, and that’s in the public or in private. And I think that is an example that can lead as we go forward over the next days and months.
So toning down the political rhetoric sounds like is part of that answer. And what do you need to do to make sure that you’re walking that walk, that others follow in that lead?
I think, lead by example, and then make sure that that is clearly communicated, that that’s not the intent. That doesn’t move us forward. We can disagree. We can absolutely disagree at times, but it doesn’t have to be cruel and unkind.
Obviously what happened, it overshadows the budget agreement that was come to a week ago. But what do you think Minnesotans need to remember about the work that was done a week ago today?
I think the work that was done, you know, in that governor’s cabinet room with Melissa Hortman, with Erin Murphy, myself, and the work that was done there was trying to do the best that we could going forward for the state of Minnesota, and that’s what drove the work that was done.
And so I think what Minnesotans should recognize is that we avoided a state shut down, and we were able to reduce the state spending in a way that will make things a little bit easier going forward.
How does the power-sharing agreement feel right now, as we’re halfway through and we don’t know what will come next year, but how do you feel when you look back on the agreement that was made?
Yeah, I think when I look back at the agreement that was made, we worked on that for hours, for weeks on end, just trying to get that to a certain acceptable way and then moving forward.
I think we did, I would say, better than what was done in 1979, if you remember the one, only time in state history, I think we did it in a more fair way, and knowing that we have the co-chairs in the committees, and what that has allowed the house to do is that’s allowed the house to work together in a bipartisan fashion early on in the legislative process.
So that by time we got to the House floor, a lot of those harder things had been worked out, because it needed bipartisan agreement through any committee and then obviously off the House floor. And I think that set us up for a little bit better success.
Like Melissa said, and I agreed the whole time, she’s like, “we’re team House, we’re team House.” And I think we had, have to keep that in mind.
Was there a moment or a story that you have about Melissa Hortman that you’re going to take with you, or a moment that you realized, ‘OK, I can work with this person.’
I think right away in 2023 when she wanted to meet with me and just start talking on a regular basis about what was going to be happening. I think that really set the tone for how we could work together, never expecting us to be in a tie in two years.
She thought she was going to be in the majority. I thought I was going to be in the majority. But I think that really set the tone.
There’s so many other small, fun exchanges and stories and just getting to know each other, but that really set the tone early on. She did not have to do that.
