Brad Finstad, an American farmer, agricultural consultant, and politician from Minnesota, is running in the 2022 elections to take over the seat of congressman Jim Hagedorn, who died in office.

Finstad announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to fill the vacant seat for the rest of the term. He is up against Democrat Jeff Ettinger. Hagedorn died of cancer while still in office.

Both Finstad and Ettinger are also running in their regular party primaries for a chance to be in the office for a two-year term.

“This election is about common sense, family pocketbook issues, things like the price of gasoline and undoing the damage from the Biden administration,” Finstad told KARE 11. “I’ll be putting my head down with that farmer mentality, rolling up my sleeves and getting things done. That’s what’s resonating with folks, and that’s who I am.”

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Brad Finstad is a native of New Ulm, Minnesota. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education from the University of Minnesota.

The 46-year-old had joined the human resources of Christansen Family Farms in Brown County, Minnesota after completing college. He was also briefly associated with the Minnesota Farm Bureau as an area director. He later moved to joining the staff of Congressman Mark Kennedy, serving as an agricultural advisor.

He was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2002 and assumed office in 2003. Apart from serving as assistant minority leader during his final term, he also served on the Rural Health Advisory Committee under Governor Tim Pawlenty. He left the House in 2008.

From 2008 to 2017, he worked as the CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development. He also worked for an agricultural research and consulting company.

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In 2017, he was appointed by then-President Donald Trump to serve as Minnesota state director of USDA Rural Development.

After Trump left office, Finstad gave up his position and later took over the role of interim executive director in the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. He left the job in 2022.