Minnesota
Related: About this forumDemocrats and Republicans eye First District seat following Hagedorn's death
After the announcement of First District Rep. Jim Hagedorns death last week, those close to him mourned while politicos in and around the district scrambled to figure out what would come next for the district during this election year.
Hagedorn announced in July 2021 that his kidney cancer had returned, and in January of this year he checked into the Mayo Clinic after testing positive for COVID-19.
He was first elected to lead Minnesotas First Congressional District in 2018, a year which was a difficult political time for Republicans. He took over the First District after it had been held by Tim Walz, who left the seat to become governor. Hagedorn defeated the Democratic candidate by just 1,315 votes in 2018, and won again by a larger margin of votes in 2020.
During his time in the House, Hagedorn served on the House Subcommittees on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture; on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research; on Underserved, Agricultural and Rural Business Development; on Contracting and Infrastructure and on Oversight, Investigations and Regulations. He was also facing an ethics investigation over allegations of using taxpayer-funded mailers for campaign purposes and renting office space for free or far below market rent from a political donor in Mankato.
Read more: https://www.minnpost.com/greater-minnesota/2022/02/democrats-and-republicans-eye-first-district-seat-following-hagedorns-death/
ProudMNDemocrat
(19,058 posts)No one has come forth as of yet. I am keeping tabs from contacts I have here in Olmsted County, Blue Earth County, as well as the State DFL in St. Paul.
Mister Ed
(6,352 posts)Governor Walz held that seat himself for six terms. He knows the district and its people.
I hope he will appoint a representative who, like him, will serve the district well, and please the voters well enough to win the eventual election for the seat.
Ocelot II
(120,820 posts)There has to be a special election to replace a representative, and I think it will take place in September.
Mister Ed
(6,352 posts)dflprincess
(28,469 posts)August 9th is also the date for the statewide primary. Which makes me wonder if voters in the 1st District could be voting in both the special eleciton to fill the seat & in a primary for who will run for it in November, given it will be on the ballot then as well.
LNM
(1,129 posts)Same for the DFL. It wasn't like this was a surprise.