The November ballot is set for House District 34B, which represents parts of Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids and Champlin in the Minnesota Legislature. Republican Ruth Bittner is running against DFL incumbent Xp Lee, a rematch of the special election held last fall.
The vacancy filled by Lee was caused by the fatal shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman in June 2025.
Lee and Bittner will face off in the Nov. 3 general election. The candidate who wins this fall will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2027.
For more information on voting, visit hennepincounty.gov/services/elections.
Sun newspapers reached out to candidates to compile this voter’s guide in advance of the Nov. 3 election. Responses from both House District 34B candidates are below.
Xp Lee
Xp Lee
Current occupation:
Minnesota State Representative
Education and experience:
Bachelor’s degree, University of SC Upstate; Human-Centered Systems Thinking Certificate, IDEO U.
What is one issue you believe should be a higher priority in the Minnesota Legislature, and if elected, what would you do to help enact legislation related to that issue?
I’m working with a coalition of Minnesotans to create what would be called legislative Community Impact Notes. This would be driven by a community-centered internal legislative process that would research and report on a variety of potential community population impacts. These Community Impact Notes will help ensure that bills impacting communities all across Minnesota at the Capitol will have a set standard of due diligence which will include community voices.
Costs are rising across a wide range of essential goods, from groceries and gasoline to housing and home energy. What are your ideas for addressing what some describe as an “affordability crisis” at the state level? Are there any specific goods you would prioritize?
I would support a tax on luxury goods that would help go to fund our state’s safety net services.
The use of Flock cameras and other surveillance tools has become a hot-button issue for many local governments. What policies, if any, do you believe should be enacted at the state level regarding these technologies? More broadly, how do you view the relationship between public safety and individual privacy?
We need to make sure these camera companies are using any collected data only for public safety purposes. There should be no using, sharing, and/or selling of the data for any political or commercial purposes. Both public safety and individual privacy are utmost important. In today’s world, we need a clear and transparent legal framework for our law enforcement and judicial systems to be able to protect both as much as possible.
What is the best way for voters to contact you?
Email: xpleeformnhouse@gmail.com
Ruth Bittner
Ruth Bittner
Current occupation:
Real estate agent
Education and experience:
B.S. in food science, food scientist, small business owner.
What is one issue you believe should be a higher priority in the Minnesota Legislature, and if elected, what would you do to help enact legislation related to that issue?
I believe that fraud, waste and abuse are the biggest issues facing our state right now. We need to restore the people’s trust in state government. That trust has been violated with the staggering fraud and lack of oversight which has resulted in the squandering of taxpayers’ money. In Minnesota, we want to help our neighbors. I want to ensure the people who need help get it without waste. Fraud hurts the intended recipients of aid as well as the Minnesota taxpayer. I will support legislation to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse and support efforts to deliver aid efficiently.
Costs are rising across a wide range of essential goods, from groceries and gasoline to housing and home energy. What are your ideas for addressing what some describe as an “affordability crisis” at the state level? Are there any specific goods you would prioritize?
Affordability is on the minds of Minnesotans. We must actively remove government barriers to lower the baseline cost of living. Cutting income and property taxes would be a great place to start. Regarding housing affordability, we have too few homes here. The supply of homes is too small. We need to encourage builders to create more homes. We can also cut state regulations that make building homes more expensive. We need to cut regulations that make childcare more expensive. I also believe we can shift our focus on energy to look for lower cost energy sources going forward in Minnesota.
The use of Flock cameras and other surveillance tools has become a hot-button issue for many local governments. What policies, if any, do you believe should be enacted at the state level regarding these technologies? More broadly, how do you view the relationship between public safety and individual privacy?
Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) use is governed by state statute since 2015. The state dictates the collection, use, and retention of such data. Local governments can also enact tighter restrictions. ALPR data is crucial to law enforcement. Technology can reduce cost and prevent harm to police and others. It has been shown to reduce crime and help solve crimes. This technology and data collection must be balanced with privacy. The choice of ALPR vendors is one key factor in protecting privacy. I support research that will balance crime reduction and privacy and tighten restrictions where abuse has been shown.
What is the best way for voters to contact you?