Munson concedes to Finstad for GOP nomination in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District

The choice will be Finstad versus Ettinger, along with some third-party candidates, in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional district this summer. 

State Rep Jeremy Munson conceded the Republican primary Wednesday to former legislator and one-time USDA official Brad Finstad, who had a lead of nearly 400 votes out of more than 30,000 cast in Tuesday’s race. 

In the Democratic contest, former Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger scored 64 per cent of the primary vote, with the next closest candidate at 13 per cent. 

An August election will determine who serves the final months of Congressman Jim Hagedorn’s term.  Republican Hagedorn died of cancer in February, in his second term after succeeding Democrat Tim Walz, now Minnesota’s governor.   Hagedorn’s widow, Jennifer Carnahan, finished a distant third in the GOP primary.

The winner in August will be the presumed favorite in the regular House election this November.