The Republican Party and the state of Minnesota are in mourning today.
Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) has passed away.
He was only 59 years old.
He’s Gone…
Hagedorn’s wife announced his death only hours ago on Facebook.
He had a long-standing battle with kidney cancer, which he has sadly lost.
Jennifer Carnahan, his wife, stated, “there was no stronger conservative in our state than my husband; and it showed in how he voted, led and fought for our country.”
His campaign added that he had passed away Thursday “surrounded by his wife, Jennifer, extended family, and friends.
“During his service, Jim’s focus was always on the priorities of the region: agriculture, small business, transportation, and our world class health care system.
“Moreover, he’ll forever be known as a commonsense conservative who championed fair tax policy, American energy independence, Peace Through Strength foreign policy, and southern Minnesota’s way of life and values.”
Hagedorn was a persistent man, having lost three previous elections before winning his seat for the first time during the 2018 election.
During his early days in office, he asked, “How do you take power from Washington and give it back to the people, and some of that is how do you make sure people have the flexibility to use their money how they see fit — not the way the government tells them to.”
After winning his first election, he stated, “I’m humbled by this opportunity, having seen firsthand my dad do it.”
Hagedorn first learned that he had cancer during his fist term.
He made the diagnosis public in February 2020 during the election cycle, where he obviously won re-election even though Democrats came at him with everything they had.
In March of 2021, Hagedorn believed he was cancer-free after having had surgery, but that was obviously not the case.
By July, the cancer had returned, and Hagedorn had also tested positive for COVID last month.
Politically, this will now be a targeted seat by Democrats, as this has always been a close election, and without an incumbent in place, they will look to take advantage.
Source: Star Tribune
