Finstad Appears To Be The GOP Nominee In 1st Congressional District, Will Face Ettinger

By J. Patrick Coolican, Minnesota Reformer

- May 25, 2022

Brad Finstad, state director for USDA Rural Development under former President Donald Trump, appeared to eke out a win Tuesday in the special primary election to replace the late U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn in the 1st District.

Minnesota Republicans breathed a sigh of relief, as Finstad beat more polarizing candidates state Rep. Jeremy Munson, who had been backed by far-right members of the House Freedom Caucus; and Jennifer Carnahan, who is Hagedorn’s widow and the former GOP party chair.

Hormel Foods’ former CEO Jeff Ettinger won the DFL primary.

If Finstad holds on to his narrow lead, he and Ettinger — and two candidates from the marijuana legalization parties, among others — would face off in the special election, scheduled for the Minnesota primary day, August 9. The winner will serve the remainder of Hagedorn’s term.

Confusingly for voters, that will also serve as primary day in the same southern Minnesota district, though with slighly altered boundaries due to redistricting. The winners of the August 9 primary will face off in November to serve the full two-year term.

Finstad, who was endorsed by U.S. Reps. Pete Stauber and Michelle Fischbach, served three terms in the Minnesota House, and has also been executive eirector of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and the Center for Rural Policy & Development. He and his wife Jaclyn have seven children.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..