The Minnesota Democratic Party has disavowed an endorsement from a local chapter for Judd Hoff, a state House candidate with a violent criminal past. Hoff is accused of stalking and harassing his Republican opponent, Rep. Mary Franson, by digging through her garbage, moving across the street from her, and sending rude and threatening messages online. Republican state Rep. Josh Heintzeman has called for Democrats to rescind their endorsement of Hoff, citing his repeated criminal behavior and harassment of Franson. Franson, who represents a heavily Republican district, expressed concern over Hoff’s candidacy, calling him dangerous and questioning the party’s support for him.
Hoff’s criminal history includes a felony second-degree assault conviction for brandishing a 23-inch machete during an argument in 2020. He was sentenced to 13 months in jail, with the judge giving him leniency due to the victim being the initial aggressor. In a video posted online, Hoff admitted to digging through Franson’s trash and moving into a house near hers. The chair of the local district and county party committee, Bonnie Bina, acknowledged that Hoff was the only candidate to come forward for the seat and that it’s challenging to recruit candidates in a predominantly Republican area.
Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic Party, Ken Martin, has disavowed the endorsement of Hoff and asked the local party unit to withdraw their support immediately. Martin stated that the party will not allocate any resources to support Hoff’s campaign and emphasized the importance of rejecting violence in politics. Bina noted that the delegates were aware of Hoff’s criminal record and time in prison but were assured by him that he had moved past it and become involved in the community. She declined to comment on whether they knew about the allegations of harassment against Franson.
Republicans have condemned the Democrats’ support for Hoff, with Rep. Heintzeman demanding the withdrawal of the endorsement for the repeat criminal. Franson, who won reelection with 70% of the vote in 2022, criticized Hoff’s candidacy and raised concerns about his behavior. The state party office is working with the local committee to determine the next steps in response to the controversy surrounding Hoff’s candidacy. Despite the challenges of recruiting candidates in a Republican stronghold, party officials are faced with the decision of whether to continue supporting Hoff in light of his troubling criminal past and allegations of harassment. Hoff has not responded to requests for comment on the situation.
