Former Brooklyn Park City Council member Xp Lee on Tuesday won the DFL nomination to run for Minnesota’s House District 34B, left vacant after the assassination of former speaker of the House Melissa Hortman in June.
Lee received 1,186 votes or 59 percent of the 2,005 votes cast in the DFL special primary. Brooklyn Park City Council member Christian Eriksen was second with 489 votes, ahead of Hennepin County prosecutor Erickson Saye who received 330.
In the uncontested Republican primary, Ruth Bittner received 209 votes.
Special elections are characterized by low turnouts, and this one happening at the tail end of summer as voters are wrapping up their summer was especially low – less than five percent of the 26,540 registered voters took part.
Lee will now compete against Bittner in the special election set for September 16.
“To the voters of District 34B — thank you for your confidence and your vote. This campaign has always been about you — your families, your jobs, your schools, your future. Tonight’s win is not the end; it’s the beginning of the work ahead.,” Mr. Lee wrote on Facebook, just over an hour after results were announced. Regarding the person he is hoping to succeed, he said, “Melissa has been a tireless champion for our communities, fighting for working families, investing in our schools, and protecting our environment. She has set a high bar for what it means to serve, and I am grateful for her years of leadership.”
He added, “Melissa, thank you for paving the way and inspiring so many of us to step forward.”
The district is heavily Democratic and Lee is the favorite to win against Bittner in September. The late Hortman in November won a twelfth term by a convincing 63% of the vote against her Republican challenger.
Lee’s election to the Brooklyn Park City Council also came via a special election, after he was elected on February 2022 to fill a vacant seat that was previously occupied by Lisa Jacobson who had become mayor. He served the remainder of Jacobson’s term which ended in 2024. He did not seek reelection.
In campaign literature, he described himself as a refugee, a union member, a father, and a public servant. He works at the Minnesota Department of Health as a health equity strategist.
Balance of Power
When Hortman was killed on June 14, the Legislature had already adjourned. The House of Representatives was split evenly at 67 members each for Democrats and Republicans. It does not reconvene until February 17, 2026.
Lee’s expected victory on September 16 will maintain the balance of power in the House.
Author
About Tom Gitaa Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the boards of New Vision Foundation and the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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