Just a few days after last fall’s presidential election, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was invited to the White House for a gathering of Democratic Party elected but state-wise local leaders.
Among those who attended was Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman.
During a brief meeting, Hortman and Poloncarz had a conversation about common legislative issues between New York and Minnesota and their concerns about the then-re-elected Donald Trump.
That conversation, however brief, brought back memories to Poloncarz after learning of the June 14 apparent murder of Hortman and her husband, Mark, along with the shootings of Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The Hortmans died in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz claims was “a politically motivated assassination.”
The murders shook Poloncarz, the county executive admitted in an interview with Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s Jim Fink.
“This shouldn't happen in a democratic republic. This is what happens in banana republics," Poloncarz said. "This is what happens in fascist autocratic states where the political opponents are assassinated."
Poloncarz said he is still processing what happened.
“The woman that I met last year, Melissa Hortman, seemed like a good, decent person. She was fighting for a community in her state, Minnesota,” Poloncarz said.
It also begs the question for someone like Poloncarz who prides himself on being accessible and traveling without a security detail about whether that may change.
Poloncarz said he has used security, for short periods of time, in the past.
“I've had to get security in the past due to death threats,” Poloncarz said. “You never just assume that it won't happen, but I've had issues with people coming to my house, banging at my door, and you never know what is going to happen.”
Poloncarz is not alone in his feelings in the wake of the Hortmans’ shooting deaths.
State Sen. Sean Ryan, who is running for Buffalo mayor, said as an elected official, there is always a concern, he told Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s Jim Fink.
“It’s as scary as you can be to be an elected official,” Ryan said. “In America, that means you get elected by the people, and if the people don't want you, they vote you out. But there's never a thought that you're going to be subjected to political violence just because you're an elected official.”
For now, Ryan will not use any security details. He, like Poloncarz, also prides himself on his accessibility.
“I'm not going to change, I'm not going to change my ways. The people of Buffalo want elected officials, they can reach out to be in touch, and I have a profound trust in the people of the city of Buffalo,” Ryan said.
