The recent attacks on two Minnesota state lawmakers show the dangers of heightened political tensions are not just found on the national level but have impacts reaching state and local leaders, who tend to have more direct exposure to their constituents.

“This has been going on for a long time in American politics: heated debate, threats, occasional threats to leaders. But now school boards, which were somewhat immune, are being infected by this as well. And there's no question that this has escalated,” said Jeffrey Henig, a professor of political science and education at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

The safety of state and local officials is front and center after former Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed and state Rep. Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife were injured Saturday by an armed assailant.

The suspected shooter, Vance Boelter, has been detained on state murder charges, among other accusations. His specific motives remain unclear, but authorities say he visited the homes of two other elected officials that morning and had multiple notebooks containing the names of more than 45 state and federal public officials and evidence of internet searches for their addresses.

Speaking with reporters........

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