Oklahoma lawmakers mourning, on edge following Minnesota murders

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Some Oklahoma lawmakers share that they're grieving friends and are worried about security following what authorities in Minnesota say were politically motivated murders last weekend.

Authorities in the North Star state have arrested Vance Boelter, who officials say had a hit list of 45 elected democrats. Boelter is accused of shooting and killing Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, on June 14. Boelter is also facing charges for allegedly shooting and wounding Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Oklahoma Republican and Democratic legislative leaders penned statements Saturday condemning the killings as an act of political violence and a threat to democracy. The murders of Hortman and her husband also struck a chord for State Rep. Cyndi Munson and State Sen. Julia Kirt, who both knew Hortman.

"It puts me on edge that we need to think more carefully though security," said Kirt on the shootings.

Kirt described Hortman as an acquaintance but said that from what she observed, the former Minnesota House Speaker was a "very kind person" and "very open-hearted."

Munson penned a lengthy social media post on June 14, describing Hortman as a "good friend and mentor." You can read Munson's full post below:

Speaker Melissa Hortman was an exception lawmaker and leader for Minnesota, but more importantly, she was a good friend and mentor to me. Melissa and I served in the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Board of Directors together. I’ll never forget my first interaction with her—I was “fan girling” a bit because I knew I was meeting the Speaker of the Minnesota House after being noted as one of the most effective legislative leaders in the country getting a lot done for Minnesota families in a balanced (by party) State House. She sat across from me at my first Board meeting in Stowe, Vermont, and was incredibly genuine, calm, and warm. I introduced myself to her and told her how excited I was to meet her, but she didn’t want to spend time talking about her. She wanted to get to know me and was excited to learn about what we were focused on in Oklahoma. After that, she gave me lots of advice as a new Caucus Leader and helped me to see that the challenges and opportunities as a leader are universal, and shared her experiences with me. From then on, she’d check in on me, connect with me at various meetings and conferences, and remind me she was in my corner. We did the hard work and spent countless hours to search for a new President & CEO for the DLCC. We’ve served on panels sharing our experiences as women political leaders—me, always leaving a little more inspired. In 2024, I met her husband at a conference in Utah. The most precious and kind soul, intelligent, and deeply supportive of Melissa. Someone I only had the opportunity to meet once, but left an impact on my life. Melissa was whip smart, kind, passionate, and willing to make tough decisions for all Minnesotans. I will miss her friendship, support, and efforts to strengthen Democratic voices across our country. Political violence should never be tolerated. I am deeply disturbed by these acts of violence and worried about the state of our democracy. We must always remember how fragile it all is and take responsibility for our words and actions, especially for those of us in elected political positions. I will keep all who loved Melissa and Mark in my prayers, especially their children. I am also praying for Senator John Hoffman and his wife as they recover from this unnecessary and horrific tragedy. And to all Minnesotans, I stand with you, and pray for you, too.

Rep. Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City)

News 4 spoke with Munson on Thursday for an extensive interview about Hortman. Munson said she and Hortman started getting to know each other while serving on the board of directors for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee together.

"I heard the news before it was made public and was shocked," said Munson.

Munson described Hortman as a calm and collected woman who taught her how to lead and carry herself as she transitioned into a minority house leader role.

"I will always take with me her calmness, very quiet, but had a lot of candor," said Munson.

Munson said Hortman and Mark had a genuine love and appreciation for each other that was easy to spot. She said Mark Hortman always supported his wife through many trying and heavy responsibilities.

Munson said Hortman's civility was also easy to spot, describing an instance in which Hortman gave up a shared House Speaker position and deferred to Republicans in Minnesota as a means of extending an olive branch. She said it's hard to wrap her head around why someone would intentionally target her friend and her family.

"There are so many different ways that we can bring up issues and disagreements and work through the problems and challenges that we face in our states and in our country, and she was a leader who did that," said Munson. "And somebody decided to choose evil and take her life, her husband's life, their dog."

Oklahoma's Democratic Party is also condemning the murders and standing by its grieving legislators.

"I feel for Sen. Kurt and Rep. Munson, because it's not just someone they know, it's someone who does what they do," said Alicia Andrews, Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair.

Andrews said she understands the murders also add understandable nerves to the Oklahoma State Democratic Party Convention. It kicks off June 28 in Broken Arrow and is expected to see a number of national Democratic attendees from across the nation, including Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

"We've been getting calls, texts, emails asking what are, what are our safety protocols," said Andrews.

Kirt and Munson both expressed to News 4 they're positive the convention will accomplish its goals and serve as a hub for unity, but it's difficult not to be concerned.

"I think we do have to be on edge," said Kirt. "Unfortunately, there's a lot of violent rhetoric."

Andrews said the Democratic Party is doing everything it can to ensure it's a safe and informative convention.

"I want our convention goers to feel safe," said Andrews. "We are looking into hiring security, and then, you know, I have a close personal relationship with a Secret Serviceman who's going to come and kind of give us an overview on how we take care of ourselves."