‘A Lot At Stake Here’: Sen. Hoffman Returns to Capitol After Assassination Attempt
Bit by bit, Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) is healing up. But his progress hasn’t been linear.
“It’s got its good days and it’s, you know, not-so-good days,” he told CCX News. “I’m still in recovery. I’m wearing a heart monitor as you and I are talking right now.”
Hoffman was shot nine times last summer by a would-be assassin inside his Champlin home.
His wife, Yvette, was also shot. After their daughter, Hope, called 911, both husband and wife would go on to survive the attack.
Prosecutors say that Vance Boelter was responsible for the shooting. He arrived at their home dressed as a police officer, forced his way inside as they answered the door, and opened fire.
Later that night, he allegedly shot and killed Rep. Melissa Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their dog in their Brooklyn Park home.
And after living through the ordeal, Hoffman passed a significant mile-marker: his return to the Capitol for the opening day of the 2026 legislative session.
The decision to continue as a lawmaker followed discussions with his family and friends.
“And we really looked at it from the viewpoint, okay, if you withdraw, then what are you withdrawing from?” he said. “I’m withdrawing from fear, I’m withdrawing from polarization, I’m withdrawing from anger, I’m withdrawing from somebody who tried to assassinate my family and I, right? And it was then that we sat back and said, we need to stay engaged.”
Back for Opening Day
Hoffman was escorted by Minnesota State Patrol troopers to the Senate chambers, where he received a standing ovation from his colleagues.
“I want to walk up the steps with the people that protected my family and I from the minute we were in the hospital,” he said. “I would love to walk up the steps with the state troopers.”
He and other members of the legislature attended a memorial for Hortman, who Hoffman remembers as his “kid sister” in politics.
“And she would turn around and she would look at me and she would smirk, and it would be this beautiful smirk that I miss,” he said. “I miss that smirky smile, because she was one of the most — when you talk about somebody who understands and gets stuff done, she was that way. She was a great advocate for the community.”
Legislative Priorities
One of Hoffman’s legislative priorities, unsurprisingly, is to make impersonating a police officer a felony.
Anyone caught using a fake police uniform would find it’s “the most expensive outfit you ever bought,” he said.
Meanwhile, two big issues loom over the session: immigration enforcement and fraud.
After a chaotic mid-winter, DFLers are expected to bring forward bills related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the impact of Operation Metro Surge on the state’s economy. Republicans, however, appear unlikely to sign on.
Hoffman expressed concern with the actions of federal immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge.
“You should, if you’re going to be somebody that’s enforcing the law, follow First, Fourth, Fifth and Tenth Amendment protections, right?” he said. “You look at our troopers or you look at our local police, they have to know the law because they are law enforcement officers, right? That should be the same for somebody coming in from out of state or somebody from the federal government. Not only should you know the law, but you better follow the law. And so I think you’re going to see some work on that.”
Sen. John Hoffman shakes hands with a Minnesota state trooper outside Senate chambers on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Addressing Fraud
Hoffman, who chairs the Senate Human Services Committee, said the state’s efforts to crack down on fraud is having a negative impact on legitimate providers in the disability services industry.
“There’s no assurance that there’s going to be services for people that deeply need it, and we’re talking about the most vulnerable people in the state of Minnesota,” he said. “Go after those bad actors. Fraud is fraud is fraud. That’s just not okay in my book, right? That’s why we gave them those tools to do it, and unfortunately, that’s not what you saw. What you saw was just this [big] hammer effect, and I wasn’t okay. with that.”
He’d also like to provide financial support for the Hennepin Healthcare system and Hennepin County Medical Center.
In October, Hennepin Healthcare’s CEO told CCX News that the Medicaid cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill Act could be “catastrophic” to the organization. Hennepin Healthcare expects to lose about $1.5 billion over the next decade due to those Medicaid cuts.
In terms of infrastructure projects, a bonding bill is likely to be on the docket for the legislature this year.
Hoffman expects to see a relatively small bonding bill, and said he’ll push for local projects like the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center expansion to be included.
‘Trying Just to Pace Myself’
For Hoffman, coming back to the legislature after such significant trauma may warrant a change of speed.
“Trying just to pace myself, you know, is going to be I think a real challenge because I like to just go, and that’s changed,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean he’s planning to take it easy.
“I’m going to start off having hearings right away,” he said. “We’ve got a lot at stake here, and what’s at stake is important to stay and fight for.”
