Dear neighbor,

On Wednesday, political commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a college campus event in Utah.

This horrific attack is part of a broader trend of political violence in our country. Just last month, Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in a politically motivated attack, and State Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, were shot and wounded. In April, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion was set on fire in an attempted assassination, while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were celebrating Passover. A few years ago, a plot was uncovered to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. We’ve also seen horrific political violence targeted toward President Trump, Speaker Pelosi and her husband, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and several other political leaders and judges in the last decade.

The environment we find ourselves in is full of heightened emotions and high-stakes debates. While political disagreements are a part of a healthy democracy, they are never, ever acceptable pretexts for harming others. Political violence is never acceptable.

This moment requires all of us to unequivocally denounce this kind of violence. I am praying for the Kirk family, as well as everyone impacted by these tragedies. I hope as leaders, my colleagues and I can come together to ensure this pattern of violence comes to an end.

As always, my team and I are here for you. If you need help with a federal agency, my Los Angeles office is available at (323) 651-1040, or visit our webpage here.

I look forward to updating you again soon.

Warmly,

Ted