Unequivocally Denounce All Political Violence

Four public figures were shot in Minnesota early Saturday morning in what Governor Tim Walz called “an act of targeted political violence.”

Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were shot in their home in Champlin. Both survived. Shortly after that, former Minnesota House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home. Authorities believe the attacks were premeditated and politically motivated.

We’ve seen this kind of violence before: the attempted assassination of Representative Gabby Giffords in 2011, the shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise in 2017, and the attempt on Donald Trump’s life in 2024. These are not isolated events. They are part of a terrifying trend.

Governor Walz warned, “Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don’t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.” But unless leaders at every level speak out now, this violence will only escalate.

Too many elected officials have remained silent. That silence is dangerous.

We demand that Congress, state legislatures, and governors across the country publicly and unequivocally denounce all political violence. Not in vague terms—clearly, forcefully, and without qualification.

We also call for stronger protections for public servants and a concerted effort to confront the toxic rhetoric that fuels extremism. Democracy requires debate, not bloodshed.

We cannot allow violence to become an accepted tool of political expression. If we fail to act, we risk normalizing the unthinkable.

Sign the petition demanding our elected leaders draw a bright red line: political violence is never acceptable. Not in Minnesota. Not anywhere. Not ever.