Minnesota Rep. Jim Hagedorn died Thursday night after a battle with kidney cancer.
Jennifer Carnahan, Hagedorn’s wife, announced the news in a Facebook post.
“It is with a broken heart, shattered spirit and overwhelming sadness I share my husband Congressman Jim Hagedorn passed away peacefully last night,” she wrote.“Jim loved our country and loved representing the people of southern Minnesota. Every moment of every day he lived his dream by serving others. There was no stronger conservative in our state than my husband; and it showed in how he voted, led and fought for our country.”
Hagedorn, who represented Minnesota’s 1st District, was first diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in 2019. While he received surgery that was deemed successful at the time, the Republican revealed that the cancer had resurfaced last July.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the GOP conference chair, praised Hagedorn on a Twitter as a “brave and tireless advocate for his constituents throughout his time in Congress.”
A special general election is expected to be held on Aug. 9, concurrent with the regular primary, according to Minnesota’s election law. The newly redrawn district is still a Republican-leaning seat that former President Donald Trump would have carried by 9 points in 2020 under the new lines.
