Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn dead at 59

Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., passed away at the age of 59, his wife Jennifer Carnahan announced on Facebook.

Hagedorn announced a reoccurrence of kidney cancer last July and had tested positive for COVID-19 last month. A cause of death was not mentioned in Carnahan’s Facebook post.

Hagedorn was elected to represent Minnesota’s mostly rural 1st Congressional District south of Minneapolis in 2018. Shortly after being sworn in, he announced that his kidney cancer had returned.

“Jim loved our country and loved representing the people of southern Minnesota,” Carnahan wrote. “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.”

Carnahan described him as a “loving husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, brother-in-law, son-in-law, Vikings, Penguins and Twins fan.”

“While nothing can accurately prepare you for the unimaginable pain, intense sorrow, suffocating grief and seemingly never-ending emptiness that engulfs the entire body, soul and spirit when your forever love passes away; at least we can smile knowing Jim is smiling from heaven encouraging us to keep chasing our dreams, loving unconditionally and fighting for the country,” she continued.

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“Jim Hagedorn, I love you,” Carnahan concluded. “I miss you. I feel empty without you. I will forever be holding your hand.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.