This article first ran in the January-February 2026 issue of Soybean Business. Click here to read the digital issue. 

On March 11, 2020, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman had every reason to cancel her office meeting with the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA). She had just come from huddling with state officials to learn more about the plan to address the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the leader of the Minnesota Legislature, Hortman likely had a lot on her mind that morning. A state shutdown loomed, which would have far-ranging, long-lasting ramifications for state government, the economy and society.

Yet, while her phone buzzed with activity, Hortman kept the meeting with MSGA and warmly greeted then MSGA President Jamie Beyer and future President Darin Johnson to discuss matters of importance to Minnesota soybean farmers. She listened as Johnson outlined MSGA’s tax priorities, later smiling for pictures with Beyer and Johnson.

“I remember she was apologizing that her phone was going off a lot that day, but she was still giving us her attention,” Johnson said. “I don’t think we fully understood at the time what was happening.”

With the 2026 Legislative Session arriving Feb. 13, MSGA and the Minnesota Legislature continue to mourn the death, and celebrate the legacy, of Speaker Emerita Hortman, who was killed, along with her husband, Mark, and their dog, Gilbert, in a targeted shooting on June 14, 2025, in their home in Brooklyn Park.

“Speaker Emerita Hortman was a friend of agriculture. As a suburban lawmaker, she took time to understand the ag industry,” said Thom Petersen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and a longtime friend and colleague. “She advocated for many budgets that prioritized rural Minnesota, reaching across the aisle to ensure farm families were supported. Speaker Emerita Hortman’s leadership on many issues, including her advocacy for biofuels, will be missed.”

A.J. Duerr, a lobbyist with MSGA, knew Hortman on a professional and personal level for 20 years. The two both arrived at the Capitol in 2005: Hortman had just been elected to represent District 47B, while Duerr began a six-year stint as a House legislative assistant and committee administrator. Even after Duerr transitioned into the lobbying world, he strengthened his rapport as she ascended the DFL ranks in the House.

Her legislative influence continued growing, but Hortman remained affable, accessible and committed to policy solutions.

“I worked with her for our entire career at the Capitol,” said Duerr, who attended a memorial for the Hortmans at the Capitol. “She was always somebody that took the time to learn an issue and listened to all sides, especially on ag policies.”

MSGA Executive Director Joe Smentek said Hortman was a strong supporter of renewable fuels during her two decades as a state legislator. As House Energy Policy Committee chair in 2013- 2014, Hortman ensured a smooth transition to B10 (10% biodiesel).

“Melissa Hortman was instrumental in helping us get to B10,” Smentek said. “She was a very active supporter of biodiesel and the biodiesel mandate.”

Common grounds

In 2019, after the election of Gov. Tim Walz, Hortman became the first woman to serve as Minnesota House Speaker. MSGA worked with Hortman during the 2019 session to notch several key victories, including rural mental health funding, tax conformity, assistance for emerging farmers and protecting biodiesel and crop inputs. “Everything fell into place (in 2019) for MSGA in St. Paul,” Beyer said. The following year, amid the economic uncertainty of the pandemic, MSGA helped secure full Section 179 conformity as part of a $1.9 billion public works package, the state’s largest bonding bill.

Hortman served as House Speaker through 2024 before passing the gavel to Rep. Lisa Demuth. Despite a DFL trifecta that limited MSGA’s policy opportunities, the association continued to earn policy, energy, tax and regulatory wins throughout Hortman’s tenure as speaker.

Throughout her speakership, Hortman remained open to MSGA and the farming community, often attending and walking the Farmfest grounds to visit with farmers. Just days before Hortman’s death, Hortman phoned Smentek following the 2025 special session to take the pulse of MSGA and offer assurances of working together in 2026.

“She had an insane schedule as House Speaker, but always found the time to listen to us,” Duerr said. “She didn’t want to just check the box; she wanted to understand why we supported certain bills or had concerns with something.”

Duerr’s lobbying colleague, Cory Bennett, also has fond memories of Hortman. Although she represented the Twin Cities suburbs and didn’t agree with MSGA on all policies, Hortman sought to find common ground with farm groups.

“Melissa Hortman was a true champion and a true leader for Minnesota agriculture,” Bennett said. “There were plenty of times when she stepped across the aisle and pushed through legislation, particularly on biofuels, that were really a benefit to not only the state of Minnesota, but also to Minnesota farmers. And I think that sometimes that is lost in our political dynamic, is that she was a true leader, and she will be sorely missed.”

The legislator was effective, pragmatic and irreplaceable, Bennett said. The person behind the lawmaker held even more attributes: kindness, wit, sincerity and a deep love for animals and nature.

“She was just a truly good human being,” Bennett said. “A nice person, and easy to get to know.”