1st district congressional candidate Jim Hagedorn joins Fox 9 Sunday Morning

(KMSP) - With nine days until election day, every second counts for all candidates, but especially in the close race in Minnesota's first congressional district. 

Democrat Dan Feehan and Republican Jim Hagedorn are battling for votes in the district in the home stretch of the campaign and Hagedorn stopped by Fox 9 Sunday Morning for an interview. 

"It's intense. It's a miniature national election," Hagedorn said of his campaign so far. "The direction of our country, whether it be left or right, could hinge on the outcome of this one seat." 

Hagedorn called the first district "one of the best pickup opportunities in the nation for the Republican Party this November. 

Given the mass shooting event at a place of worship in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Saturday, Hagedorn was asked about his views on arming people in schools and places of worship. He said:

It’s unfortunate that usually they take tragedies like this... evildoers are out there, people are criminals, they are going to get access to weapons of some sort, whether its guns or not and unfortunately, they are going to inflict evil against people. It’s a terrible thing, they don’t want it, we want to make sure that when people break the law, when they handle firearms inappropriately, they are prosecuted, put behind bars, but I don’t’ believe the answer is to take away the right of law abiding citizens to take away a firearm for some protection and other law-abiding purposes.

Hagedorn was asked if he agreed with President Donald Trump that schools and places of worship should have more firearms to protect from incidents like Saturdays. Hagedorn responded:

I think the school districts and others should have the prerogative to do what they need to do in order to protect the people and students and anything like that, but I don’t believe the answer is to take away the rights of law abiding Americans.

Finally, Hagedorn was asked what his first priority would be if he were to take office in 2019.

The first issue I’m going to tackle is vote for a Republican to be Speaker of the House. It’s a fundamental difference between my opponent and I.

Be sure to watch Hagedorn's full interivew with Fox 9 Sunday Morning.