Former Minnesota Republican Party chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan will run in a special election to finish the term of her late husband, Rep. Jim Hagedorn.
“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 Monday statement. “In the final weeks before his passing, Jim told me to keep forging ahead, to keep reaching my dreams, and to win this seat.”
Former Minnesota GOP chair Jennifer Carnahan, the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn’s widow, officially announced she’s running in #MN01 pic.twitter.com/4x3WuQzzaH
— Erin Covey (@ercovey) March 14, 2022
Carnahan is the fifth Republican to declare for the seat. Other candidates include state Reps. Kevin Kocina and Jeremy Munson. Former Bush administration chief ethics counsel Richard Painter is running on the Democratic side.
Carnahan led the Minnesota GOP from 2017 to 2021, before resigning in the aftermath of the indictment of a top ally for sex trafficking minors. Anton Lazzaro, a major state donor, was charged in August with trafficking six individuals under the age of 18 “to engage in commercial sex acts.” Carnahan claimed no knowledge of Lazzaro’s activities and described herself as “shocked” and “disgusted” when he was indicted.
Lazzaro, who is awaiting trial, requested in January that a judge dismiss the charges. He argued that he was selectively prosecuted.
Surviving spouses frequently run to finish the terms of deceased members of Congress. Republican Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow is currently serving out the term first won by her late husband Luke Letlow, who died of COVID-19 in December 2020 before taking office. Similarly, Democratic Missouri Sen. Jean Carnahan was appointed to the upper chamber in 2001 after her husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, died in a plane crash just weeks before the 2000 elections. (RELATED: Wife Of Late Texas Rep. Ron Wright Announces Bid To Fill His Seat)
Hagedorn died Feb. 17 following a nearly three-year battle with kidney cancer. The Republican primary to complete his term will be held on May 24, and the general special election will take place on Aug. 9. Hagedorn won the 2020 general election by less than 12,000 votes, and Minnesota’s First District is considered a key swing district.