JOUR-PAC is proud to endorse Jim Hagedorn for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. This district is currently represented by Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN 01), who is running for Governor.
Jim Hagedorn is a former conservative Congressional aide, a small business owner, and comes from a family of farmers, and he is an active conservative leader with a proven record that shows he would be a strong conservative reformer in Congress: "Jim Hagedorn was born in Blue Earth, Minnesota, in 1962, to parents Thomas, a grain and livestock farmer, and Kathleen, a homemaker. Jim’s grandparents, Fred and Viola Mittelstadt and Pete and Elaine Hagedorn, were all lifelong Blue Earth residents. In 1963 the family moved from Blue Earth to their 160 acre grain and hog farm located just outside the small town of Truman. Jim’s formative years were spent on the Truman farm. His father and grandfather were full-time farmers and, as partners, regularly worked 1,000 acres or more. Jim helped work the land, walk the bean fields, feed the hogs, maintain the property, and developed a firsthand understanding of farming and the business side of agriculture. Growing up on the farm was also fun, as Jim and younger sisters, Heidi and Tricia, would ride horses and play games. Living on a farm and being part of a rural community ingrained, in Jim, small town values and an appreciation for country living. In 1974, Jim’s father was elected to Congress to represent southern Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District. Shortly thereafter the family began splitting time between Washington, D.C. and Minnesota – spending the school year in the Virginia suburbs of DC and returning each summer to the Truman farm. Throughout Thomas Hagedorn’s congressional career, Jim learned about national politics firsthand and interacted with notable politicians and famous leaders, including Jack Kemp, Henry Hyde and Ronald Reagan, who, along with his father, are Jim’s political heroes. Jim met candidate Reagan in 1979 at a Hagedorn Mankato fundraiser and then again in 1981 when President Reagan invited Jim and his father to the Oval Office to discuss a letter-to-the editor that Jim had written in defense of Reagan economic policies. In 1984, Jim was hired as the legislative assistant to former Minnesota Republican Congressman Arlan Stangeland. Jim handled an array of issues and successfully managed the Congressman’s legislative agenda, including stewardship of H.R. 916, a 1987-88 bipartisan “workfare” bill that required able-bodied welfare recipients to work for benefits. This bill was conceptually enacted into law shortly after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in 1994. In 2005 Jim thwarted a Bush administration policy to merge the nation’s coin and currency agencies, an idea that would have cost taxpayers $500 million for no added value, and transferred power from career civil servants to partisan political appointees. At great risk to his career, Jim crafted an appropriations provision and worked with the Congress and interested parties, including unions, to prohibit the use of federal funds to merge the Bureau of Engraving and Printing into the United States Mint. This spending prohibition remains in force today and for this accomplishment Jim enjoys support from both management and organized labor. In 2014, Jim won a hotly contested Republican primary election, and then went on to receive 45.7 percent of the vote against incumbent Democrat congressman Tim Walz in the November general election. Jim won six counties and amassed the highest percentage vote against Walz since his election to congress in 2006. Jim announced his candidacy for the 2016 election on May 12, 2015. Jim received the endorsement of Minnesota’s First District Republican Party on May 7, 2016, and handily won the August 9th Republican primary election, 76.5% - 23.5%. Jim came up just short of defeating incumbent Democrat Tim Walz and pulling off the biggest congressional upset of the November 8, 2016, general election. Hagedorn won the overwhelming majority of southern Minnesota’s precincts and carried 13 of the First District’s 21 counties, six by 60% or more of the vote. The 50.3% - 49.6% result (Walz 169,071 – Hagedorn 166,524) was the 12th closest congressional election in Minnesota’s history." Recently, Congress passed H.R. 1892, a $300 Billion Budget Busting Increase, a $1.5 Trillion "Bipartisan Budget Act" that also suspended the debt ceiling for 1 year. Most Republicans in both Houses of Congress voted for it, showing there are very, very few true fiscal conservatives. It appears most of them just used "fiscal responsibility" rhetoric for their campaigns but most never intended to keep their promise. JOUR-PAC is committed to working to elect more leaders who recognize the importance of fiscal responsibility, and candidates' views on this bill and fiscal responsibility is extremely important considering that more votes like this one are expected in the years to come as Congress needs more fiscally responsible leaders who will work to prevent increases in our national debt. Jim Hagedorn is the candidate in Minnesota's 1st who has shown that he is a principled, fiscal conservative. Here is his statement on the bill and how he would vote on it if he was in the House: "This is a vote on which I would have broken ranks with the Trump administration and GOP leaders. Federal agencies are bloated and in dire need of reform, the Department of Defense included. My background and expertise involves identifying government inefficiencies, reforming federal operations, cutting spending, eliminating federal jobs and improving service to the American people. We must spend taxpayers money more wisely, conservatively, and wring out waste, fraud and abuse. We should also return to regular order on appropriations bills - no more omnibus last minute blockbuster spending deals! I understand how the $20 trillion national debt and the $80-100 trillion in unfunded federal liabilities loom as serious long term threats to our economy and American way of life. As your Congressman, I will work to limit and reform the federal government, vote for pro-growth tax, regulatory and energy policies to keep expanding the U.S. economy and push all national leaders to plan for the massive increase in debt service payments that will follow the unfolding uptick in interest rates." JOUR-PAC Reformer Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN 06) endorsed Jim Hagedorn. Here is the press release: "Blue Earth, Minnesota – Jim Hagedorn, the GOP candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s First District, has received the endorsement of U.S. Representative Tom Emmer. Congressman Emmer represents Minnesota’s Sixth District and serves as Deputy Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the GOP organization devoted to electing Republican candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives. “Jim Hagedorn is one of hardest working congressional candidates in the nation,” said Emmer. “Jim came within an eyelash of defeating an established incumbent in 2016. Minnesota’s First District is ready for change, and he’s well-positioned to win in 2018.” In the 2016 election, Hagedorn received 49.6% of the vote against six-term incumbent Democrat Tim Walz, who is not seeking re-election to Congress. The now open First District is rated as “Toss-up” by political scientist Larry Sabato and R+5 by the Cook Political Report. During the first Federal Election Commission reporting period of 2017 (January 1 thru March 31st), Hagedorn reported contributions of $221,000. “Congressman Emmer is a highly-respected Republican leader in Congress and throughout the State of Minnesota,” said Hagedorn. “I am grateful and humbled to receive Tom’s endorsement and I look forward to continue working with him to win in 2018 and expand the GOP’s congressional majority.” Jim Hagedorn has the experience and policy-driven knowledge to serve with honor and integrity as a strong representative for the people of Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. He is a just, compassionate, results-driven candidate who will pursue justice, opportunity, and reform in Congress. Therefore, JOUR-PAC officially endorses Jim Hagedorn for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District! We urge the citizens of Minnesota's 1st Congressional District to support Jim Hagedorn for Congress. Visit his campaign webpage here: http://www.jimhagedorn.org/
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