Primary election taking place on Tuesday will establish the Democratic-Farm Labor (DFL) nominee for the vacant seat left by the late Representative Melissa Hortman

Primary election taking place on Tuesday will establish the Democratic-Farm Labor (DFL) nominee for the vacant seat left by the late Representative Melissa Hortman

A special primary election is taking place on Tuesday, 16th September, to decide the DFL candidate for Melissa Hortman's seat in Minnesota House District 34B. The seat, which has been a blue seat since the 2018 election, covers parts of the northern Twin Cities metro, including parts of Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, and Champlin.

Four candidates are vying for the position: Christian Eriksen, the current Brooklyn Park City Council member; Erickson Saye, the Hennepin County prosecutor; Xp Lee, the former Brooklyn Park City Council member and the DFL-endorsed candidate; and Ruth Bittner, a real estate agent running unopposed on the Republican ticket.

Beret Leone, a native Minnesotan who grew up in Chaska and graduated from Bethel University, joined WCCO as a reporter in September 2022 and will provide live results after the primary polls close.

The special primary election comes amidst some high-profile news in Minnesota. Vance Boelter, charged in the killings of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the shootings of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, has pleaded not guilty, and the charges against him are still pending. Melissa Hortman won the district in 2022 and was reelected in 2024 before announcing her retirement.

The winner of the primary will square off against Ruth Bittner in the special election next month. The primary polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, and voters will select which DFL candidate they want to see on the ballot for the special election.

[1] WCCO [2] Star Tribune [3] MPR News [4] Duluth News Tribune [5] Pioneer Press

[1] The DFL primary election for Melissa Hortman's seat in Minnesota House District 34B is generating significant general-news coverage, with WCCO providing live results after the polls close. [2] Other local news outlets, including the Star Tribune, MPR News, Duluth News Tribune, and Pioneer Press, are likely to follow the election closely, offering in-depth analysis and insights on the candidates and issues at stake. [3] As the news unfolds, politics enthusiasts may also find themselves discussing the election on various war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice forums, given the high-profile nature of the case involving Vance Boelter and his charges. [4] Meanwhile, weather updates will continue to be a regular segment on local news channels, ensuring Minnesotans are well-informed about the conditions for Tuesday's polling. [5] With the election focuses on local politics, there might be minimal national-news coverage from other media outlets, save for brief mentions in the general news section.

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