Melissa Hortman

Melissa Hortman
Hortman in 2021
61st Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
January 8, 2019  January 14, 2025
Preceded byKurt Daudt
Succeeded byLisa Demuth
DFL Caucus Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
March 17, 2025  June 14, 2025
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byVacant
Minority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
February 6, 2025  March 17, 2025
Preceded byLisa Demuth
Succeeded byVacant
In office
January 3, 2017  January 8, 2019
Preceded byPaul Thissen
Succeeded byKurt Daudt
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
In office
January 4, 2005  June 14, 2025
Preceded byStephanie Olsen
Succeeded byVacant
Constituency
  • District 47B (2005–2013)
  • District 36B (2013–2023)
  • District 34B (2023–2025)
Personal details
Born
Melissa Anne Haluptzok

(1970-05-27)May 27, 1970
Fridley, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedJune 14, 2025(2025-06-14) (aged 55)
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, U.S.
Manner of deathAssassination by gunshot
Political partyDemocratic (DFL)
SpouseMark Hortman
Children2
Education
Website

Melissa Anne Hortman (née Haluptzok; May 27, 1970  June 14, 2025) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 61st Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, she represented northern parts of the Twin Cities metropolitan area in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2005 until her assassination in 2025, serving as the House minority leader from 2017 to 2019 and as the speaker from 2019 to January 2025. During her tenure, she advocated for transportation, environmental rights, abortion rights, police reform, and gun control policies. She was also the chief author of the state's solar energy standard.

On June 14, 2025, Hortman and her husband were shot dead in their home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.