Wife of late Minnesota Rep. Hagedorn launches bid for seat

Jennifer Carnahan, the widow of the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), declared her candidacy for the former congressman’s seat in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District on Monday.

“Though my heart is still heavy after Jim’s passing, the encouragement I have received from throughout southern Minnesota has inspired me to carry on his legacy by running to complete the remainder of his term,” Carnahan said in a statement.

Carnahan also said that Hagedorn encouraged her to win the seat prior to his death last month. In the statement, Carnahan touted her support for former President Trump, citing a number of his accomplishments. She also bemoaned record-high inflation and the situation at the southern border under the Biden administration.

“Like President Trump, I am a businesswoman and fighter. Here in Minnesota, I disrupted the status quo and brought the Republican Party back to relevance,” Carnahan said. 

Hagedorn died on Feb. 17 of stage 4 kidney cancer. 

Carnahan’s entrance into the GOP primary is not her first foray into politics. She previously served as the chair of Minnesota’s Republican Party until her resignation in August after facing backlash for her ties to GOP donor Anton Lazzaro, who was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. 

The primaries for the special election are set for May 24. The special general election is slated for Aug. 9. 

Carnahan joins a growing field of Republicans running to replace her late husband in Congress. The field already includes former Agriculture Department official Brad Finstad, state Rep. Jeremy Munson (R), state Rep. Nels Pierson (R) and attorney Matt Benda.

A number of Democrats have also thrown their hats in the ring for the special election, including former White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, Richard Painter, as well as former Hormel Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger and political consultant Sarah Brakebill-Hacke.