Hortman to lead weakened DFL House minority
Dropped to their smallest ranks in a dozen years, Minnesota House DFLers have turned to Rep. Melissa Hortman of Brooklyn Park to be minority leader.
Hortman was selected in a closed-door caucus Thursday that stretched late into the night. She will replace Rep. Paul Thissen of Minneapolis, who didn't seek the leadership job after having previously served as both House speaker and minority leader.
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After a campaign year in which DFLers had designs on a regaining the House from Republicans, they lost ground. That is unusual for the DFL in presidential election years. Republicans boosted their majority from 73 seats to 76, with one more to be filled in a special election in February.
That means DFLers will occupy only 57 seats when the 2017 session starts in January. It's the lowest number since 2004.
Hortman, an attorney, came into the Legislature in 2005 and had been deputy leader under Thissen for the past two years.
"Where we can work with the House Republican majority to better the lives of Minnesotans, we will," Hortman said. "Where their ideas are wrong for Minnesota, we will make that clear. We are ready to get to work to improve the lives of Minnesotans.”
House Republicans were due to meet Friday morning, with no announced challenges to Speaker Kurt Daudt of Zimmerman or Majority Leader Joyce Peppin of Rogers.