Congressman Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota dies at 59

Republican Congressman Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota has died, his wife announced in a Facebook post Friday morning. He was 59.

His wife, former Minnesota GOP chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan, said in the post he "passed away peacefully" Thursday night. 

Hagedorn announced his kidney cancer had returned in July 2021. In January, he checked into the Mayo Clinic after testing positive for COVID-19. 

Hagedorn had represented Minnesota's first Congressional District since 2019. 

"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. Jim was a loving husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, brother-in-law, son-in-law, Vikings, Penguins and Twins fan and will be missed and remembered by many."

Hagedorn called representing Minnesota's first congressional district "the greatest privilege of my life."

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy remembered his colleague as a patriot who didn't let cancer stop him from serving his constituents. 

"Congressman Jim Hagedorn was a patriot who will be remembered for his strong Christian faith, his deep passion for serving others, and his joyful spirit," McCarthy said in a statement. "Jim came from a family with a long history of farming and was the son of a member of Congress. In Congress, starting as a congressional staffer and then becoming a member, Jim focused on supporting and strengthening the agriculture community that is the foundation for his Southern Minnesota community. Jim lived and breathed the spirit of determined optimism that is embedded in the American way of life all the way till the end. Even while battling cancer, Jim never stopped working to better the lives of his constituents and his fellow Americans. He always put others ahead of himself. "

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that public service was in Hagedorn's DNA, recalling that his father had also served in the House. She noted that Hagedorn had also worked at the Treasury Department before he won his seat. "A proud son of Minnesota, descended from three generations of farmers, he brought a committed voice for his constituents to the Committee on Agriculture as well as the Committee on Small Business," she wrote.