Melissa Hortman was the longtime leader of the Minnesota House DFL Caucus. She served as House speaker from 2019-2025 and was known as an unflashy, no-nonsense leader who took care of her team and wanted to get things done.
Mark Hortman worked as a program manager at a tech firm in St. Louis Park. He enjoyed mountain biking, competitive pool, home beer brewing and woodworking. And he took joy in being Melissa Hortman’s husband.
Their golden retriever, Gilbert, was injured in the shooting and later euthanized. He was also honored at the State Capitol as the first dog to lie in state in Minnesota history.
