EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Scott Perry is endorsing Jeremy Munson in the special House election in Minnesota, signaling likely Freedom Caucus support for the Republican legislator over Jennifer Carnahan, the former state GOP chairwoman and widow of Rep. Jim Hagedorn.

Hagedorn died Feb. 17 after a bout with cancer, sparking a special election in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, with the primary set for May 24 and the general contest scheduled for Aug. 9. Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican and chairman of the influential House Freedom Caucus, announced Monday he was backing Munson over Carnahan and several other GOP primary contenders in a bid to coalesce grassroots conservatives behind the state representative’s candidacy.