Rep. Hortman To Be First Woman To Lie in State at Minnesota Capitol
Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, will lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol on Friday, June 27, allowing the public to pay their respects, Gov. Tim Walz announced on Tuesday.
The couple’s golden retriever, Gilbert, will be placed next to them.
The Hortmans and their dog were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14 by an assassin who police said targeted lawmakers in a plot that had been in the works for considerable time.
Hortman, who was former House speaker from 2019 through early 2025, will be the first woman to lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol.
Lying in state at the Minnesota Capitol is a rare tribute. According to the governor’s office, fewer than 20 Minnesotans have had their caskets on display.
The Capitol rotunda will be available for the public to pay their respects from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday.
A private funeral for the Hortmans will take place on Saturday, June 28, at 10:30 a.m. The funeral service will be livestreamed on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s YouTube channel.
A visitor pays respect to the Hortmans at the state Capitol where a memorial has grown.
Hortman represented House District 34B, which includes most of Brooklyn Park and portions of Champlin and Coon Rapids.
Her DFL colleagues reflected on Hortman in an interview with CCX News, saying how much they respected her.
The Hortmans’ children, Sophie and Colin, released a statement expressing ways that others could honor their parents.
“They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much,” the statement read.
