She battled fiercely, but never let it impact the personal bond that we developed serving as caucus leaders,” GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth said.

Following the recent assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, along with the shooting of another state lawmaker and his wife, it has many observing the growing trend of political violence in the country.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), appeared to blame the assassination of Smith’s friend, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, on the political left. Smith sought him out to chat.

Law enforcement officials on Sunday searched residences of Vance Luther Boelter, a suspect in the killings of a state lawmaker and her husband.

The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another has been taken into custody, ending a nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge