The 2022 Minnesota's 1st congressional district special election was a special election held on August 9, 2022. The seat became vacant when incumbent Republican representative Jim Hagedorn died on February 17, 2022, from kidney cancer.

A primary was held on May 24, 2022, with the special election being held eleven weeks later, on August 9, alongside state primaries for other races. The special election was won by Republican Brad Finstad by a margin of 3.9%.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee Brad Finstad, former Minnesota Director of USDA Rural Development and former state representative

Eliminated in primary

Matt Benda, agricultural law attorney Jennifer Carnahan, former chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota and Hagedorn's widow Bob Carney Jr., perennial candidate J. R. Ewing, general manager of a biofuels plant Kevin Kocina, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jeremy Munson, state representative Nels Pierson, state representative Roger Ungemach, engineer and business analyst

Withdrawn Ken Navitsky, sales executive and former Minnesota State University placekicker (running for state senate)

Declined Jason Baskin, Austin city councilor Carla Nelson, state senator (running for re-election, endorsed Pierson) Julie Rosen, state senator (endorsed Finstad)

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JenniferCarnahan BradFinstad JeremyMunson Other UndecidedNational Journal HotlineNational Journal HotlineApril 13–14, 2022287 (LV)± 5.7%37%9%20%14%20%

Results

Democratic–Farmer–Labor primary

Candidates

Nominee Jeff Ettinger, corporate executive and former CEO of Hormel Foods

Eliminated in primary

Warren Lee Anderson, retiree of retail Sarah Brakebill-Hacke, MPhil candidate at Cambridge University and former business owner in direct voter contact Candice Deal-Bartell, founder of Cultivate Mankato, founding board member of CultivateMN, and early childhood education advocate Richard DeVoe, Red Wing bookseller George H. Kalberer, CEO and president of Kalberer Financial Management and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 (Washington) Richard Painter, University of Minnesota Law School professor, former White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018 James Rainwater, attorney-mediator and arbitrator

Declined Dan Feehan, U.S. Army veteran, former U.S. Department of Defense official, nominee for this district in 2018 and 2020

Endorsements

Results

Legal Marijuana Now primary

Candidate

Nominee Richard B. Reisdorf, veteran

Results

Grassroots–Legalize Cannabis primary

Candidates

Nominee Haroun McClellan, attorney and contracts manager

Results

General election

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report July 19, 2022 Inside Elections April 7, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball February 23, 2022

Post-primary endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BradFinstad (R) JeffEttinger (DFL) Other UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSAJuly 26–30, 2022544 (LV)± 4.7%46%38%7%8%Expedition Strategies (D)Expedition Strategies (D)June 6–9, 2022400 (LV)± 4.9%48%47%–5%

Results

CountyBrad FinstadRepublicanJeff EttingerDFLRichard ReisdorfLMNHaroun McClellanG–LCMarginTotalvotes#%#%#%#%#%Blue Earth4,28442.685,50154.811671.66850.85−1,217−12.1310,037Brown3,69269.091,57929.55480.90250.472,11339.545,344Cottonwood 32279.907518.6151.2410.2524761.29403Dodge2,01162.881,13835.58270.84220.6987327.303,198Faribault1,45565.9971832.56190.86130.5973733.422,205Fillmore2,53755.311,97242.99410.89370.8156512.324,587Freeborn3,74657.192,61539.921231.88661.011,13117.276,550Houston1,74954.061,42744.11361.11230.713229.953,235Jackson1,11769.3846628.94211.3060.3765140.431,610Le Sueur2,92960.291,76036.231122.31571.171,16924.064,858Martin2,14369.2489728.98300.97250.811,24640.263,095Mower2,83742.463,73155.84630.94510.76−894−13.386,682Nicollet2,99546.01 3,356 51.55991.52600.92−361−5.556,510Nobles 1,377 70.0454727.82251.27170.8683042.221,966Olmsted13,55040.53 19,287 57.703891.162030.61−5,737−17.1633,429Rice 3,150 59.501,96737.161122.12651.231,13821.505,294Rock 960 67.2345231.6590.6370.4950835.571,428Steele 3,104 56.982,25141.32601.10330.6185315.665,448Waseca 1,771 62.8999535.33351.24150.5377627.562,816Watonwan 1,255 66.5160231.90191.01110.5865334.611,887Winona3,30844.30 4,005 53.641091.46450.60−697−9.337,467 Totals 60,292 51.07 55,341 46.88 1,549 1.31 867 0.73 4,951 4.19 118,049

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links Official campaign websites Jeff Ettinger (DFL) for Congress Brad Finstad (R) for Congress