Jeremy Munson’s bid for a vacant Minnesota House seat picked up the endorsement of former state Republican Party Chairman Keith Downey, growing support for the conservative favorite’s candidacy in a special election.
The backing Munson received from Downey was notable because among his primary opponents in the May 24 special GOP primary in southern Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District is another former state Republican chairman, Jennifer Carnahan. But Downey’s endorsement also was significant because it follows those granted by other prominent Republicans, including Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus on Capitol Hill.
“I am honored to receive Keith Downey’s endorsement because he understands what our conservative values are up against and has committed his service to protect our constitutional rights,” Munson said in a statement.
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Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn died Feb. 17 after a bout with cancer, creating a vacancy in the 1st District, located in Minnesota’s southern tier along the Iowa state line. Carnahan is Hagedorn’s widow, and the surviving spouse often has an advantage in the ensuing special election called to fill a vacancy created by the death of an incumbent congressman.
But in this race, Munson, a state representative, has been scooping up much of the institutional and activist support. Downey is simply the latest well-known Republican to back his campaign.
“Without a doubt, Jeremy Munson is the clear conservative choice for the First Congressional District,” Downey said in a statement. “There are enough fakers in Congress. Jim Hagedorn was not one of them. Neither is Jeremy Munson.”
Meanwhile, Carnahan’s challenges could stem from her controversial exit from the chairwomanship of the Minnesota Republican Party. Carnahan, who had recently been elected to a third two-year term as chairwoman, left the post after a Republican donor with whom she was close was indicted on federal charges of child sex trafficking. The state GOP paid Carnahan a $38,000 severance, which could be another thorny problem for her to navigate in her congressional campaign.
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Carnahan and Hagedorn were married in 2018. His victory in Minnesota’s 1st District that same year was among the GOP’s few bright spots amid a Democratic wave that swept Republicans from power in the House. Hagedorn replaced 12-year Democratic Rep. Tim Walz, who won the governorship in 2018.
Rural, southern Minnesota’s 1st District leans Republican, with the new boundaries approved in decennial redistricting expected to continue the GOP’s advantage in a seat former President Donald Trump won with 54% of the vote in 2020. The special general election to pick a successor in this seat is scheduled for Aug. 9.
