Minnesota Bids Farewell To Its Daughter, Leader, And Conscience: Melissa Hortman — And Her Partner In Life, Mark Hortman

Minnesota Bids Farewell To Its Daughter, Leader, And Conscience: Melissa Hortman — And Her Partner In Life, Mark Hortman

- MinneapoliMedia Editorial -
June 29, 2025

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — On Saturday, Minnesota wept. Beneath the vaulted ceilings of the Basilica of Saint Mary, as incense mixed with quiet sobs and the deep swell of choral hymns, thousands gathered to mourn a devastating loss that has shaken the state — and the nation — to its core.

Melissa Hortman, Minnesota’s former House Speaker and a towering figure in state politics, and her husband Mark, a devoted public servant in his own right, were laid to rest just two weeks after their brutal assassination in a politically motivated attack. The funeral was not only a farewell — it was an alarm bell, a moral reckoning, and a call to action.

They were more than victims of violence. They were champions of decency.

The People’s Vigil

In an extraordinary display of public mourning, more than 7,500 Minnesotans visited the State Capitol Rotunda on Friday to pay their respects as Melissa, Mark, and their beloved golden retriever, Gilbert — also slain in the attack — lay in state. Melissa became the first woman in Minnesota’s history to receive that honor. Her husband, the first civilian. Gilbert, resting beside them, represented the quiet, loyal love that permeated their lives.

There, in the heart of our democracy, we bore witness to the cost of political hatred — and the resilience of shared humanity.

A Funeral Steeped in Love and Resolve

The following day’s service brought together grieving Minnesotans and leaders from across the nation. Former President Joe Biden. Former Vice President Kamala Harris. Governor Tim Walz. They did not speak — they didn’t need to. Their presence in the front pew spoke volumes about the gravity of the loss and the dangerous climate that birthed it.

Governor Walz, a longtime friend and political partner, delivered a eulogy that left few eyes dry. He called Melissa Hortman “the most consequential Speaker in Minnesota history,” and more personally, “a close friend, a mentor, and the most talented legislator I have ever known.”

But it was what he said about how she led — with fire, without bitterness — that will linger in the hearts of Minnesotans:

“She knew how to get her way,” Walz said, “but she never made you feel rolled. That was her gift. That was her grace.”

A Life in Service — and in Full

Melissa Hortman served 11 terms in the Minnesota House, championing bold, humane legislation that reflected the best of what governance can be: free school meals, reproductive freedom, protections for transgender youth, and critical climate action. Even as Speaker Emerita in 2025, she remained indispensable — brokering compromises in a gridlocked chamber.

Mark Hortman, though not an elected official, was a public servant by example. He was known for his intellect, his wry humor, and above all, his devotion. The "Hortman Hotel," as friends called their open-door Brooklyn Park home, was a place of warmth, political discourse, and bottomless coffee.

At the Basilica, their son Colin — standing beside his fiancée — led a tearful recitation of the Prayer of Saint Francis. It was a prayer his mother always carried with her. Make me an instrument of your peace. In that moment, her voice lived on in his.

A Political Tragedy — And a Moral Crisis

Their killer, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, is accused of impersonating a police officer and first attacking Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. The Hoffmans survived after undergoing multiple surgeries. But the gunman’s next stop was fatal. With a list of Democratic lawmakers and pro-choice advocates reportedly in his possession, Boelter’s rampage was not random. It was targeted. It was ideological. It was terrorism.

And it is a warning.

We Cannot Shrink

As Senator Hoffman recovers, and as Melissa and Mark Hortman are laid to rest, we are left with more than grief. We are left with a choice.

Do we accept the escalation of political violence as inevitable? Do we allow vitriol to harden into violence? Or do we, in the image of Melissa and Mark Hortman, fight for a politics rooted in compassion, courage, and common cause?

Rev. Daniel Griffith, presiding over the service, said it plainly:

“Minnesota is now ground zero for political violence and extremism.”
And yet, he reminded us, we can also be the place where it ends.

Their Light Endures

Melissa and Mark Hortman were not perfect. But they were principled. They believed in the messy, necessary work of democracy. They opened their home, their calendars, their hearts. And in doing so, they modeled the kind of politics — and the kind of humanity — this country so desperately needs.

Their loss is unbearable. Their example is unforgettable.

Let us grieve. But let us not go silent.

Let us honor them — not just with words, but with a recommitment to the ideals they lived for: decency, equity, service, and love.

They were not just leaders. They were light.

MinneapoliMedia