Three DFL candidates vying for Hortman seat—one wants ranked choice voting ‘everywhere’

Three Democrats are vying for one spot on the ballot for the House 34B special election next month.

Gov. Tim Walz called for the special election last month after the seat was left vacant following the murder of longtime legislator Melissa Hortman.

In Minnesota, primaries are considered “open,” which means anyone who lives in the district — regardless of party affiliation — can vote for one of following three Democratic candidates: Erickson Saye, XP Lee or Christian Erickson.

So voters in most of Brooklyn Park, and a portion of Coon Rapid and Champlin, can have their say on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Whomever earns the most votes will go onto face the Republican candidate, Ruth Bittner, in the Sept. 16 special general election.

All four of those candidates participated in a voter forum late last month moderated by the League of Women Voters.

During the forum, the three DFL candidates and Republican candidate Bittner were asked about a variety of issues, including ranked choice voting (RCV)—which allows voters to rank candidates by preference, instead of just choosing one to get their vote.

Other issues included climate change, dismantling of the federal department of education, and gun control. The candidates were also asked to summarize the top issues they would address if elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Bittner listed fiscal responsibility in state spending, safety and security in communities and educational excellence as her top three issues. She said lowering taxes and eliminating policies that contribute to inflation would be the two most effective ways to help working Minnesotans.

One of the DFL candidates, XP Lee, a former Brooklyn Park City Council member a Minnesota Department of Health employee said, “we have to keep this seat ‘blue,’ and we have to work for everyday Minnesotans to keep (the DFL trifecta’s) vision moving forward, not only for Minnesota, but for the America we want.” He also said he will advocate for public “healthcare for all.”

Erickson Saye, another DFL candidate, is an assistant prosecutor in the office of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty. He’s also a former public engagement liaison for Gov. Tim Walz and field organizer for the Minnesota DFL. He said he wants to find ways to make daycare more affordable for parents make living in Brooklyn Park more affordable, “so people can thrive even more.”

Christian Eriksen, a Brooklyn Park City Council member and a staff member at St. Paul Seminary said, “we need to defend the resources we need in this community, and all the progress we’ve made (under the DFL trifecta) from the dangerous policies coming from Washington.”

XP Lee wants ranked choice voting (RCV) “everywhere we can make it happen”

Lee, who earned the DFL endorsement for the seat, was the only candidate to fully endorse ranked choice voting.

He said in the legislature he “will work to make sure that (RCV) happens everywhere we can make it happen. Both Saye and Eriksen said they liked the idea of ranked choice voting, but believe that investment in educating voters on the method would need to accompany its implementation.

Bittner said local governments should be allowed to decide if they’d like to utilize RCV in their own elections, but said she doesn’t support it in state elections.

Gun control opinions vary among the candidates

On gun control, Eriksen said he would advocate for more laws to close loopholes on straw purchases. Lee said he wants to see a statewide gun “buyback” program and an expansion of already red flags laws that were passed in the legislature in 2023. Saye didn’t mention any specific positions on gun control, but cited the Hennepin County Attorney’s work with youth offenders in diversion programs as a way to stem gun violence.

“We want to be making sure we have other options for them, rather than turning toward guns, than using gun or stealing cars,” Saye said. “So when we pour into our youth at an early stage, the outcome is a lot more successful.”

Bittner said she believes “we need to walk a balance” between protecting people from violence and protecting personal liberties.

“I believe that there has been a lot of back and forth in Minnesota over the years on gun laws, and I believe we are actually in an okay place,” Bittner said.

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