Photo by Clay Schuldt The people of the 1st Congressional District headed to the voting booths on Tuesday to not only elect a replacement for the late Jim Hagedorn’s unexpired term of three months, but also to select their party’s nominee for a full term to be determined in November.

NEW ULM — With about half the votes of the 1st Congressional District counted, former Minnesota legislator and U.S. Department of Agriculture official Brad Finstad, R-New Ulm, led a special election late Tuesday night against Austin Democrat Jeff Ettinger.

Finstad received 28,494 (55.2%) of the votes counted. Ettinger got 22,021 (42.6%) of the votes counted.

The winner winner will serve out the First District congressional term of the late GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn who died of cancer last February.

If he wins, Finstad said he will focus on inflation and supply chain shortages.

Ettinger said his opponents had negative campaigns, focusing on President Biden and not the congressional race.

“I’m so humbled and honored I got the votes I have. I plan to keep working hard,” Finstad said. “Thanks to all our friends, families and neighbors in southern Minnesota that have been to kind.”

With 41% of unofficial votes counted in rural counties, Finstad received 24,540 (58.3%) of votes counted. Ettinger followed with 16,430 (39.3%). Finstad held sizable leads in just about every rural county except Nicollet County where Ettinger received 3,356 votes to 2,995 for Finstad.

With 14 of 21 counties reported, Finstad received 30,535 votes. Ettinger followed with 23,683 votes.

“As a farmer, I don’t count my bushels until the combine is in the field,” said Finstad.

He talked about what he heard from people on the campaign trail.

“I kept hearing about things that focus on the family pocketbook like inflation, gas prices and food availability, Finstad added. “People are worried, upset and struggling. There’s a lot of market variability.”

Finstad said he heard a story about a person he knew quitting a home health care job due to the high cost of gas.

“We have to do better. Three years ago, we were more energy dependent. Now we’re dependent on Venezuela,” Finstad said. “We need to push for policies of innovation and diversification. Biofuels are energy we have in our backyard. There needs to be more demand for all commodities including soybeans and corn.”

The Associated Press (AP) called Finstad the District 1 GOP primary vote winner at 10:05 p.m. with 38,095 (76.4%) of the vote with 83.7% of votes counted. Jeremy Munson of Lake Crystal received 12,083 (23.6%) of votes counted.

Ettinger was called the Democratic winner at 9:56 p.m. with 39,329 (91.7%) with 80.2% of votes counted. James Rainwater received 2,528 votes and George Kalberer 1,013 votes.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.)