Republican Finstad wins Minnesota special election for Hagedorn’s seat

Former Minnesota state Rep. Brad Finstad on Tuesday was projected to defeat Democrat Jeff Ettinger in the special election to replace the late Rep. Jim Hagedorn (R) in the state’s 1st Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:25 a.m. ET.

Heading into the Tuesday special election, Finstad was heavily favored to win given the district’s strong Republican tilt.

Special elections are often seen as a bellwether for which party has the momentum heading into the November general election.

But Finstad’s victory on Tuesday only guarantees him the seat until early next year. Voters in Minnesota’s 1st District are also set to choose their nominees on Tuesday for the regularly scheduled November election.

Ettinger, the former CEO of Hormel Foods, faces no serious opposition in that primary, while Finstad is locked in a rematch with state Rep. Jeremy Munson.

Munson previously sought the GOP nomination for the special election, but ultimately lost to Finstad by just 1 percentage point.