Senators Looney and Duff Release Statements on Assassinations and Attempted Assassinations of Democratic-Farm-Labor Legislators and Spouses in Minnesota

HARTFORD – Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) issued the following statements today in response to the assassinations of Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark as well as the attempted assassinations of Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.

“We are deeply shocked and heartbroken by the horrifying assassinations of former Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the attempted murders of Democratic–Farmer–Labor Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette,” said Senate President Martin Looney. “As Board President of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, I know the deep commitment Melissa brought to public service as a former leader of the House of Representatives in Minnesota. Unfortunately, we have also learned the risks our colleagues increasingly face simply for doing their jobs. This appalling act of violence is an attack on democracy itself and has shaken legislative bodies across our country to their core. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of Representative Hortman and Mark, and I pray for State Senator Hoffman and his wife as they recover. We must meet this moment with renewed resolve to protect public servants and reject political violence and the vile rhetoric that leads to these actions.”

“Melissa was a passionate leader and friend whom I had the privilege to travel and serve with through the National Conference of State Legislatures,” said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff. “Her loss, along with her husband’s, is tragically unfathomable. She was thoughtful, courageous, dedicated, and represented the best of public service. My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families and with Senator Hoffman and his wife as they recover. This tragedy reminds us that threats to our democracy are real, and that we must stand united against political violence and the forces that perpetuate it.”