Elected in one of the closest House races in the nation two years ago, Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., told Newsmax on Monday without hesitation: "We'll win bigger in '20."
In results that took two weeks to count and certify, the son of former Rep. Tom Hagedorn, R-Minn., won the Gopher State's open 1st District (Rochester) by less than 2,000 votes out of more than 250,000 cast.
Now, the self-styled "passionate conservative" Hagedorn faces a rematch with liberal Democrat Dan Feehan. In recent weeks, the incumbent has hit hard at Feehan for taking funding from left-of-center groups between runs for Congress.
Specifically, Hagedorn's campaign noted, Feehan received money from what the Republican calls "Democrat front groups" such as the New Politics Leadership Academy ($119,500), the Center for New American Security ($63,328), and others between congressional campaigns.
"He's being paid to run for Congress by the left," Hagedorn told us, unveiling a commercial showing Feehan saying "I know nothing about this" and denying he received the funds. Hagedorn's spot then documents the funding from Feehan's financial disclosure form and concludes that the Democrat is "lying."
As in his past races, Hagedorn makes no bones about his conservatism.
"I'm a member of the National Rifle Association and my opponent supports gun confiscation, such as they have in Australia," he told us. "And I am pro-life and oppose abortion in all situations except to save the life of the mother, like Ronald Reagan. My opponent backs abortion under any circumstances."
Democrats have long said that the healthcare employees at Rochester's Mayo Clinic would be Hagedorn's undoing because of his support for repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.
"And he supports healthcare schemes that would lead to national health insurance," said Hagedorn. "That would put at risk the rural hospitals in our district. And they know it."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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