DFL Sen. John Hoffman, who was shot nine times and survived the June 14 lawmaker attacks, will seek re-election to a fifth term in his north metro Senate district, he announced Monday in a Facebook post.
Senate District 34 includes parts of Dayton, Champlin, Coon Rapids and Brooklyn Park.
“Minnesotans are tired of the vitriol. We have seen first hand where hate and dehumanization can lead. My family survived it,“ he wrote. ”Leadership matters. Decency matters. Speaking up matters.”
On June 14, Vance Boelter allegedly disguised himself as a police officer and shot Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, before driving to the home of Rep. Melissa Hortman. He allegedly assassinated Hortman, her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever. Boelter faces federal and state charges in both shootings.
Boelter allegedly shot at and missed the Hoffmans’ daughter, Hope, who called 911.
Hoffman spent more than three weeks in the hospital after the shooting and over the summer and underwent surgery for injuries he sustained.
Anticipating a gun legislation special session that never came to fruition, Sen. Ron Latz in September introduced legislation on behalf of Hoffman that would increase penalties for impersonating a police officer to felony-level offenses.
“His modus operandi was to appear to be a legitimate peace officer approaching the doors of the Hortman family and the Hoffman family,” Latz said of Boelter during a working group.
