An Aug. 12 primary for a vacant Minnesota House seat in the northwest metro is now more likely as a third Democrat has entered the race.
Erickson Saye, of Brooklyn Park, filed his affidavit of candidacy on Tuesday for the House District 34B special election. That seat has been vacant since the murder of longtime legislator Melissa Hortman last month. Gov. Tim Walz issued a writ of special election for the seat with a Sept. 12 general election date.
Saye joins Xp Lee and Christian Eriksen in declaring his intention to seek the DFL endorsement. Lee, a former Brooklyn Park City Council member, also filed for the seat on Tuesday. Eriksen, a current member of the Brooklyn Park City Council, launched his campaign earlier this month and officially filed to run for the seat Friday.
Former Walz staffer, current attorney under Mary Moriarty
Saye works as an associate attorney in the office of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and previously worked as a public engagement liaison for Gov. Tim Walz’s office from February 2019 to March 2020. He’s also spent time as a field organizer for the DFL Party of Minnesota and as a director of public policy with Minnesota Voice, a progressive nonprofit that focuses on GOTV and community organizing efforts.
In a campaign announcement, Saye said that while working for the Walz administration, “I expanded outreach efforts statewide to advance the vision of ‘One Minnesota.’”
Saye also said he’s “proud to serve as a prosecutor in Hennepin County, where I bring my community organizing experience into the courtroom to uphold justice and accountability for the people of Minnesota.”
Democrats in District 34 are scheduled to gather on Monday, July 21 to endorse a candidate in the primary, which will be held Aug. 12.
Ruth Bittner filed paperwork to run as a Republican in the special election. She is the only Republican to enter the race so far.
The seat held by Hortman has gone for Democrats by more than 20 points in each of the last two elections since it was redrawn in 2022.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
