Former Hormel Foods CEO Jeff Ettinger won the Democratic primary in southern Minnesota's First Congressional District race Tuesday as the Republican race remained without a clear winner.
The Associated Press called the DFL primary for Ettinger who bested a field that included Richard Painter, an ethics lawyer who served in President George W. Bush's administration, and former political consultant Sarah Brakebill-Hacke.
Ettinger said in a phone interview Tuesday night that he's looking "to lower the temperature in Washington by bringing a respectful approach."
"I've been very upfront from the day I filed that I would be a moderate Democrat," he said. "... I think a lot of the better solutions can be found in the middle."
A crowd of Republicans and Democrats were running to serve the final months of the late GOP Rep. Jim Hagedorn's term. The winners of Tuesday's contests will advance to the Aug. 9 special election.
Prominent GOP candidates include Jennifer Carnahan, the former state Republican chair who is Hagedorn's widow, state GOP Rep. Jeremy Munson and former GOP state Rep. Brad Finstad, who worked in the U.S. Department of Agriculture under then-President Donald Trump.
Ongoing results released by the Secretary of State's Office around midnight showed Finstad narrowly leading Munson with Carnahan trailing far behind. The AP had not called the GOP race as of midnight.
Republican candidates faced a challenging environment and time frame to try and stand out from one another in the weeks following Hagedorn's February death after a battle with kidney cancer. Local Republicans' failure in April to endorse a First District candidate in the normal midterm election cycle for the seat only added to the uncertainty surrounding the race.