“As an Army veteran, a teacher and a native of southern Minnesota, Dan Feehan is running to bring servant leadership to Washington,” said DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján. “Dan has always put his country ahead of partisan politics, and he’ll work across party lines to get things done for southern Minnesotans. Dan is building a strong campaign to keep this seat safely in Democratic hands in November.”
To: Interested Parties
From: Rachel Irwin, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 14, 2018
RE: The Case Against Jim Hagedorn
The primary results in Minnesota’s First Congressional District set up a clear contrast between veteran and fifth-generation Minnesotan Dan Feehan and perennial losing candidate Jim Hagedorn.
Minnesota voters have already rejected Hagedorn three times, who emerges from a bruising and negative primary in a weak position and with a depleted war chest. Feehan, on the other hand, has more cash on hand and has hit the ground running to talk to voters across the district. Feehan is hosting “Service Saturdays” during the campaign to bring the community together around public service.
Feehan brings a strong record of service and a fresh approach to politics in his bid to replace Rep. Tim Walz. After witnessing the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon, Feehan enlisted in the Army, where he served two tours in Iraq leading teams to defuse roadside bombs and track down insurgents. He continued his service teaching middle school students in underserved communities, and went on to serve in the Pentagon as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense. In his bid for Congress, he’s refusing corporate PAC money and starts off the general election with the resources needed to compete for this open seat.
In the primary, Hagedorn’s opponent eagerly pointed out that Hagedorn is a creature of Washington, having lived in the D.C. area for over 25 years before returning to Minnesota to run unsuccessfully for public office. While Feehan represents a new generation of servant leadership that will go and change a broken Washington, Hagedorn is a career D.C. insider who will fit right into the Washington swamp.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
CNN Headline: “‘Country over party:’ Democrats turn to veterans to take back the House” “Feehan, one of dozens of military veterans the Democratic Party has turned to ahead of November’s midterms, is far from alone, either.” [CNN, 6/30/18]
MinnPost Headline: “In southern Minnesota’s 1st District, Democrats unify ahead of competitive race on Trump turf, while GOP faces primary” [MinnPost, 4/23/18]
Mankato Free Press Headline: Feehan outraises 1st District opponents” [Mankato Free Press, 7/22/18]
Washington Examiner Headline (Opinion): Jim Hagedorn: The worst Republican candidate in America? “He is Jim Hagedorn, the worst midterm candidate in America and, more than likely, the reason Republicans will lose Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District along with their majority in the House of Representatives.” [Washington Examiner (Opinion), 4/10/18]
Mankato Free Press Headline: “Hagedorn plans fourth run at 1st Congressional District seat” [Mankato Free Press, 12/13/16]
Servant Leadership vs. Party Insider
Feehan Driven By Minnesota Values, Hagedorn a Puppet of his Party
Dan Feehan was driven by the values he learned growing up in Red Wing, Minnesota, to dedicate his life to service. Feehan’s track record of putting his country ahead of his party proves he’s an independent leader who will stand up to special interests and do what’s right for southern Minnesotans.
While Feehan left Minnesota to serve his country overseas, teach underprivileged children in Chicago and Gary, Indiana, and then serve our country again in the Pentagon, Hagedorn has spent the majority of his life in D.C. working in the federal government. Hagedorn is so desperate to make it back to Washington that he’ll use the same Republican playbook and D.C. style attacks that voters are tired of. He clearly doesn’t respect Minnesota’s common-sense values if he’s willing to stoop to such lows – and attack veterans and service leaders – to win this seat.
Hagedorn Embraces GOP Tax Scam
Hagedorn strongly supports the failed agenda of Paul Ryan and other Washington Republicans. He’s already on the hook supporting the Republican tax bill that provides a major tax break for the wealthy and corporations while raising taxes on the middle class. The bill gives more than 80% of its benefits to the wealthiest 1% of Americans and a huge handout to large corporations. And because of how the tax scam blew up the deficit, it gives Hagedorn and Republicans an opening to revisit their favorite topic: cutting Social Security and Medicare. This won’t sit well with southern Minnesotans who are tired of D.C. politicians going after their healthcare and Social Security and Medicare year after year.
Healthcare Top of Mind for Voters
While Feehan has made lowering healthcare costs a top priority of his campaign, Hagedorn has embraced the worst of the GOP policies that jeopardize care for southern Minnesotans.
Hagedorn is all-in on the Republican bill that would raise healthcare costs, slap an age tax on older Americans, gut pre-existing condition protections and jeopardizing health insurance for 30,900 in his district. When it comes to healthcare, voters trust Democrats to lower healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. Hagedorn hasn’t lifted a finger when his own Party continues their attacks on dismantling protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
THE PATH TO VICTORY
This southern Minnesota district has been held by veteran and high school teacher Tim Walz for more than 11 years since his first election in 2006. Walz has endorsed fellow veteran and teacher Feehan for this seat.
While Republicans list this as one of their top pick-up opportunities, they’ve recruited one of their weakest candidates in the country. Hagedorn has been called “the worst Republican candidate in America,” though it’s more than his offensive remarks that render him unelectable in this district. Hagedorn’s blind party loyalty and embrace of the Washington Republican partisan agenda will be a huge liability at a time when healthcare and Trump’s trade policies are top of mind in southern Minnesota.
This is a mostly rural district that DFLers often win, including in difficult years like 2010 and 2014. President Obama won here twice, as did Senators Franken and Klobuchar in their most recent reelections. Recent polling also shows Trump underwater statewide with Democrats leading by 12 points on the generic ballot. Given the administration’s ongoing attacks on healthcare and those with pre-existing conditions, it’s clear that voters put their trust in DFLers to fight for them.
Feehan has the service background, the experience, and the cash-on-hand advantage to keep this seat in Democratic hands. The contrast couldn’t be clearer heading into November: veteran Dan Feehan represents a new generation of servant leaders, while Jim Hagedorn is a perennial candidate and puppet of his Party bosses who is itching to get back to Washington, D.C.