(FOX 9) - Voters in Minnesota's First Congressional District cast their ballots Tuesday for a special primary to choose candidates to fill the vacant seat caused by the death of Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn.
Jeff Ettinger has been declared the winner of the Democrat primary, per The Associated Press, while USDA official Brad Finstad has won the GOP primary after state Rep. Jeremy Munson conceded.
In a post on Facebook, Munson said "Unfortunately, last night did not go as we had hoped. It seems God has a different plan for us. This does not mean our work is done. America is the most incredible nation on earth. It is We the People who make it so great by continually fighting for a better future and defending our liberties and freedoms. We must never give up that fight."
The winners of each party's primary will advance to the special election on Aug. 9. The winner will finish out the final months of Hagedorn's term, which ends in January 2023.
The special election on Aug. 9 is the same date as the rest of Minnesota's primary elections ahead of the November general election. In that election, voters will decide who will represent them in the newly drawn First Congressional District for the next two-year term, which begins in January 2023.
The original story from Monday is below.
Voters in Minnesota’s First Congressional District are headed to the polls on Tuesday for a special primary to choose candidates to fill the vacant seat caused by the death of Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn on Feb. 18.
Twenty people have filed for candidacy in the race, including 10 Republicans, eight Democrats and two candidates from Minnesota’s two marijuana parties.
How to vote
Voting in Minnesota Nov. 8, 2016. (STEPHEN MATUREN/AFP via Getty Images))
The primary is set for Tuesday, May 24, with the polls generally open from 7 a.m.to 8 p.m. The special election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 9.
You can find your polling place here. If you aren't registered to vote, you can register at your polling place on election day. Find more details on how to do that here.
The First Congressional District includes much of southern Minnesota.
Who's running?
Among the candidates who’ve filed are Jennifer Carnahan, Hagedorn’s widow and the former chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. Hagedorn’s family filed lawsuits last week against Carnahan, claiming she hasn’t come through on a promise to pay back medical expenses related to Hagedorn’s late-stage cancer treatments.
Jeff Ettinger is the DFL-endorsed candidate. While none of the candidates on the GOP side won the party's endorsement, State Rep. Jeremy Munson got the most votes at the convention, with the support of 55% of the delegates, followed by former State Rep. Brad Finstad at 35%.
Here's a list of the candidates who have filed for candidacy in the race:
- Bob "Again" Carney Jr., Republican
- Ken Navitsky, Republican
- Richard W. Painter, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Brad Finstad, Republican
- Jeremy Munson, Republican
- Kevin Kocina, Republican
- Richard B. Reisdorf, Legal Marijuana Now
- George H. Kalberer, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Roger Ungemach, Republican
- Sarah Brakebill-Hacke, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Jeff Ettinger, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Matt Benda, Republican
- Rick DeVoe, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- J.R. Ewing, Republican
- Warren Lee Anderson, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Jennifer Carnahan, Republican
- James Rainwater, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Nels Pierson, Republican
- Candice Deal-Bartell, Democratic-Farmer-Labor
- Haroun McClellan, Grassroots - Legalize Cannabis