Jennifer Carnahan, the spouse of the late Minnesota Congressman Jim Hagedorn and the previous chair of the Minnesota Republican Get together, introduced Monday that she is working for Congress to fill the seat vacated when he died final month.
"Although my coronary heart continues to be heavy after Jim's passing, the encouragement I've obtained from all through southern Minnesota has impressed me to hold on his legacy by working to finish the rest of his time period," Carnahan mentioned in an announcement. "Within the remaining weeks earlier than his passing, Jim advised me to maintain forging forward, to maintain reaching my desires, and to win this seat."
"I'm dedicated to persevering with my husband's legacy of combating to safe the border, defending conservative values, safeguarding the integrity of our elections, and serving the individuals of Minnesota's First Congressional District," she added.
Hagedorn died on February 17. He introduced that he had kidney most cancers in July 2021 and checked into the Mayo Clinic in January after testing optimistic for COVID-19.
Governor Tim Walz scheduled a main for the particular election on Could 24 and the particular election will happen on August 9 to fill out the rest of Hagedorn's time period. Voters will choose a candidate to characterize the district for a full time period in the course of the November basic election.
Jennifer Carnahan turned Minnesota Republican Get together chair in 2017 and resigned in August after her shut affiliate and GOP donor Anton Lazzaro was arrested on federal intercourse trafficking fees. In accordance with CBS Minnesota, there have been additionally accusations of a poisonous work setting on the occasion and allegations that Carnahan ignored claims of sexual harassement by her workers. Carnahan has denied the allegations and mentioned she wasn't conscious of Lazzaro's alleged felony habits.
There are no less than eight different GOP candidates and 6 Democrats working within the race to switch Hagedorn. The district stretches throughout a big portion of southern Minnesota, bordering Iowa. Hagedorn was elected in 2018, flipping the district from Democratic to Republican. Earlier than Hagedorn's election, the district was represented by Walz, who's presently Minnesota's Democratic governor.
"Like President Trump, I'm a businesswoman and fighter," Carnahan mentioned in an announcement. "Right here in Minnesota, I disrupted the established order and introduced the Republican Get together again to relevance. Now, I ask for the assist of southern Minnesota to do the identical in Washington."