FV@W Decries Political Violence, the Assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman

We at Family Values @ Work join our Network, especially our Minnesota partners—Take Action Minnesota, Main Street Alliance, and ISAIAH —in expressing our collective grief and outrage over the assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. We also condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the related attempted assassination of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Representative Hortman was not only a champion for working families and small business owners—she was a true ally in our movement for paid time to care for all. In 2023, Rep. Hortman worked closely with our network members and partners in Minnesota to pass the state’s historic Paid Family and Medical Leave law and Paid Sick and Safe Days law. She didn’t just support it—she fought for it. She sat at roundtables with caregivers and small business owners alike, listened with intention, and led with compassion. After the session, Rep. Hortman said “The most rewarding piece of legislation we passed — for me — is paid family and medical leave,” before going on to discuss the importance of paid sick and safe days legislation and other worker protections. This year, she continued to protect the paid leave bill from attempts to weaken the legislation and delay its start. Rep. Hortman understood that care isn’t a luxury—it’s the foundation of a strong economy and a just society.

Our partners in Minnesota knew her as someone whose door was always open, whose voice carried weight, and whose heart was with the people.

As Take Action Minnesota stated: “All of us deserve safety – regardless of our political opinions or identities. But each day as we pick up our phones or turn on the news, we are confronted with more and more violence toward the people and places we love.”

From the Main Street Alliance: “This loss is not just personal. It’s a loss for everyone who believes in a government that serves, protects, and uplifts.”

And from ISAIAH: “These brutal, targeted acts of violence have no place in our democracy and communities. We must reject it with everything we have. Even when we don’t see eye-to-eye, Minnesotans know that we are stronger together across our differences.” 

At Family Values @ Work, we work with elected officials across the country, including through our OASIS program. We are reminded every day that public service requires deep courage, and that the safety and dignity of those who serve must be protected.

Political violence is an existential threat to democracy. We mourn this terrible loss, and we recommit ourselves to the work Rep. Hortman so fiercely believed in. Our hearts are with her family, with the Hoffman family, and with our partners and members across Minnesota.

We will carry her legacy forward—with courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to America’s working families.