Speaker emeritus Rep. Melissa Hartman talks to colleagues during a special legislative session Monday, June 9, 2025 at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)

Michigan lawmakers are reacting with a mix of sadness, anger and dismay following Saturday’s assasination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in their home, and the wounding of another lawmaker and his wife.

Vance Luther Boelter, 57, was taken into custody Sunday after authorities named him as a suspect in the killing of Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus leader Melissa Hortman, who died Saturday morning after she and her husband were shot and killed in their home in Brooklyn Park, a Minneapolis suburb. 

Boelter is also suspected in the wounding of Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who were also shot multiple times earlier Friday evening in their home in nearby Champlin.

Boelter is a Christian who voted for President Donald Trump and opposes abortion and LGBTQ rights, according to interviews with his childhood friend and videos of his sermons posted online. A list of potential targets — including Hoffman and Hortman — included abortion providers and other Democratic elected officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Vance Boelter, 57, was captured by law enforcement Sunday, June 15, 2025 in Sibley County. (Photo courtesy of Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Michigan Gov. Grethen Whitmer, who was the target of a kidnapping and murder plot in 2020, expressed concern for what she called “yet another horrific act” in a continuing cycle of political violence in America. 

“We must call out this violence, no matter who it’s aimed at or where it originates. The loss of State Rep. Hortman and her husband is a tragedy, and we are pulling for the recovery of Sen. Hoffman and his wife. This must stop,” Whitmer posted.

Similar sentiments were expressed by fellow Democrats, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

“This is a devastating attack on public servants, public service, and our shared values as Americans. We cannot tolerate political violence anywhere in this country and it must be met with the strongest, universal condemnation everywhere and every time,” Nessel said in a press release.

Nessel said her office remains in continuous contact with Michigan State Police and other authorities to assess any potential threats in Michigan. 

“At this time, my department is not aware of any emergent danger in our state related to these shootings. Nonetheless, my office will be in contact with legislative and elected leaders as we navigate this heartbreaking news,” Nessel said. 

Benson, who is also a candidate for governor, posted to social media that those who choose to be public officials, as Hortman and Hoffman did, should not have to fear for their life by simply doing their job. 

“Yet that is what this era of violent rhetoric and threats is producing. The targeted assassinations and assaults in Minnesota are gutting and horrifying. We cannot accept this violence as normal and we all must work to turn down the hate and division that led to these tragedies,” Benson said. 

Also condemning the violent acts was Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township), a candidate for governor as well.

“I’m disgusted and heartbroken by the news out of Minneapolis. In this country we settle our political differences at the ballot box, not with violence,” Nesbitt posted on Saturday morning.

Less than two hours later, however, Nesbitt was condemning a display on the Michigan Capitol steps that was posted of the “No Kings” protests taking place across the state and nation in opposition to President Donald Trump’s administration.

“Democrats are displaying a light up ‘86/47’ sign on the steps of the Michigan Capitol for their “No Kings” protest,” Nesbitt posted. “Calling for the President to be assassinated from the steps of our Capitol is grotesque. This is why Democrats lost Michigan.” 

State Rep. Jaime Thompson (R-Brownstown) posted a similar sentiment.

86, which is slang for getting rid of something, has been interpreted by MAGA supporters as calling for the assassination of Trump when combined with the number 47, as he is the 47th President. But as The Guardian reported in May, when former FBI Director James Comey was criticized for mentioning the phrase, the Merriam-Webster dictionary declined to endorse that meaning “due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

Whitmer was also criticized for using the phrase in 2020, when an “86 45” pin was visible in the background during a virtual appearance on “Meet the Press”. At the time, Trump was the 45th President.

Conspiracy and rhetoric

Also posting about the assassination, although not expressing any condolences or regret, was state Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) who instead leaned into right-wing influencers that have pushed out disinformation about what may have led to the incident.

“The Minnesota Legislature is tied. Hortman was the only House Democrat and Murphy was 1 of 4 Democrat Senators that voted with Republicans Monday to end healthcare for illegals,” Maddock posted.

Undercutting that conspiracy theory was the fact that Hoffman — who was also targeted by the suspect — had voted against rolling back MinnesotaCare for undocumented Minnesotans. 

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel, who spoke with the Michigan Advance Saturday afternoon, recalled Horton’s commitment to serving the people of her state.

“I met her once before. She was one of the leaders of the Minnesota Values Project and they fought to rebuild the party there, but more importantly build a real progressive movement to make people’s lives better in Minnesota. She was a hell of a public servant, so this is really…it’s just so sad that she would be targeted like this,” Hertel said.

Hertel said the entire incident was “deeply terrifying” for people, but pointed to the rhetoric coming from the White House as of being of particular concern.

“I think we all have to be careful with the way we talk about others. The President likes to stoke the other side of the aisle as the enemy. I see opposition. I disagree with everything they’re doing but there’s a level that you don’t get to and I think when you start demonizing people, this is what happens,” Hertel said. 

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Originally published on michiganadvance.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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