Local legislators react to Minn. lawmaker assassination

RIO RANCHO — Local lawmakers reacted to Saturday’s assassination of a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and the assassination attempt of another lawmaker and spouse in what many are calling an unprecedented act of political violence.

Sandoval County legislators Sen. Jay Block, a Republican, and Rep. Kathleen Cates, a Democrat, as well as Bernalillo Rep. Derrick Lente, a Democrat, all spoke out against the shooting of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot but are expected to recover. The suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested Sunday following a manhunt and charged with multiple offenses, including murder and stalking, by state and federal authorities. He could be eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors said Monday.

Cates said she was “extraordinarily saddened” to hear the news of the assassination of Hortman and her husband.

“The fact that people have spent a large part of their lives dedicated to community service and then are targeted in that way is overwhelmingly sad and, quite frankly, disgusting,” said Cates, who added that she has fielded calls from constituents and family members about her personal safety since the shootings.

Lente said the news out of Minnesota was “unfortunate” and an example of “how negative politics has become in America today.”

In a post Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Block described Hortman and her husband as “beautiful people” who he believed were assassinated due to “political BS by some lunatic who does not deserve to be breathing among us.”

In a prepared statement, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called the assassinations “an unspeakable tragedy.”

“Even when we disagree fiercely about politics and policy, we must remember we are Americans first, not enemies,” she stated, in part. “New Mexico stands with Minnesota and offers our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, friends and colleagues.”

Lujan Grisham’s and the local lawmakers comments come following assassination attempts on numerous New Mexico lawmakers over the last several years. The highest-profile case involved Solomon Peña, 40, who was convicted and sentenced to prison for participating in the shootings at the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners who voted to certify the election and two New Mexico state legislators following his defeat for District 14 of the New Mexico House of Representatives in November 2022. The Peña case was one of many investigated by a U.S. Department of Justice task force aimed at investigating threats of violence surrounding elections.

State lawmakers do not receive any security, with the exception of when they are in the Roundhouse, Cates and Lente told the Observer.

Despite a lack of personal protection for lawmakers in New Mexico, there have been some efforts to protect them, including a 2023 law that allows them and elected or appointed public officials to make their home addresses confidential except when it may be relevant in a court case.

Lawmakers shielding their home addresses from the public is one of the steps state Sen. Bill Sharer, Republican Senate floor leader, of Farmington, urged members to do in light of the Minnesota shootings, according to an email by Sharer that Block shared with the Observer.

Sharer also recommended members immediately report to law enforcement any verbal or physical threat they might encounter in person or digitally, exercise caution in their online activity, and report any such messages they find in other posts.

“Clearly, we can and SHOULD continue to promote political debate, but we must be careful about the language we use so that we preserve our own safety and that of others,” Sharer wrote.

When the Observer asked Lujan Grisham whether she believes the shootings should give the New Mexico Legislature reason to consider funding personal protection for its lawmakers, the governor’s spokesperson, Michael Coleman, wrote in an email that Lujan Grisham believes it is a reasonable concept, including for judges.

“What that would look like, or how much it might cost, isn’t clear at this point, but she believes it’s a discussion worth having,” Coleman wrote.

Since the events in Minnesota, Cates said she is “always open” to increasing security for legislators. But she noted the circumstances in the Minnesota case were unique, considering Boelter allegedly stalked Hortman and Hoffman and came to their homes disguised as a police officer before killing them.

“I don’t know what kind of security, besides my own, will protect me from that,” Cates said.

Block said he would let legislative leadership decide whether to debate about providing security for members. But he would not favor full-time security for lawmakers outside of the Roundhouse.

“Why would I have security when the average citizen doesn’t have it?” Block said.

Lente does not think he needs personal security.

“I have never felt unsafe as a legislator,” he said. “The last thing I want is someone tagging along with me when I am farming or ranching.”

But Lente said he would involve himself in discussions about it in the Legislature, given his role on the finance committee.

“Should the question come to bear, I will obviously be engaged in the discussion — not only from the standpoint of necessity or opportunity — but what would it cost financially?” Lente said.

He is hopeful there does not come a day when people believe state legislators need personal security.

Lente said he has seen divisions between Republicans and Democrats at the Roundhouse, but he is hopeful that the parties can “do very productive things together if we can come together.”

Regarding healing political divisions, Cates said simply, “Change can never occur without conversation.”