Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) canceled her town hall with voters set for Monday amid security concerns following the assassination of a former Minnesota House speaker.
“Nothing matters more to me than the safety and well-being of the people I serve. After being made aware that my name was on a list connected to the recent tragic shooting in Minnesota, my office has made the difficult decision to postpone our planned town hall in Muskegon,” the Michigan Democrat said Monday in a statement.
The killings of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, along with serious injuries to Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife during a targeted shooting over the weekend, have led many members to call for more security protocols as political violence is on the rise.
Federal prosecutors on Monday charged Vance Boelter, 57, with federal murder and stalking offenses, while he faces state charges of murder and attempted murder. Authorities said Boelter had a “hit list” of 45 other targets, all Democrats.
The Detroit News reported Monday that Scholten and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) were mentioned in the notes written by the suspected shooter in Minnesota. Scholten’s spokesperson said the Michigan State Police informed her of her name appearing on the documents.
“Out of an abundance of caution and to not divert additional law enforcement resources away from protecting the broader public at this time, this is the responsible choice,” Scholten continued. “We will reschedule this event as soon as possible, and I remain committed to ensuring every West Michigander has the opportunity to make their voice heard.”
All of this comes after the rise of political violence in recent years. Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D-PA) house was set on fire earlier this year. President Donald Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts last year, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was attacked in their San Francisco home in 2022.
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”Political violence is plaguing our nation,” former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) told the Washington Examiner.
Members and leadership are looking at the best way to move forward with increasing security measures to protect them from these politically motivated attacks.