ONE OF THE MOST CLOSELY
WATCHED CONGRESSIONAL RACES IN
THE COUNTRY THIS FALL WILL BE
IN MINNESOTA'S FIRST
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. IT HAS
BEEN WON BY REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS. THIS YEAR THE
INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN,
REPRESENTATIVE JIM HAGEDORN, IS
RUNNING FOR REELECTION DESPITE
RECENTLY ANNOUNCING HE HAS
STAGE IV KIDNEY CANCER.
LAST MONTH HE ANNOUNCED HE'D
BEEN BATTLING CANCER FOR A
YEAR.
HIS WIFE IS JENNIFER CARNAHAN,
THE GOP PARTY CHAIR.
SHE HAS BEEN COORDINATING
REPUBLICAN ELECTION STRATEGY IN
MINNESOTA, INCLUDING WORKING
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE
WHITE HOUSE. OF COURSE,
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID HE
HOPES TO WIN MINNESOTA THIS
FALL.
JOINING US RIGHT NOW, THE GOP
CHAIR AND CONGRESSMAN JIM
HAGEDORN.
THANK YOU.
LET ME ASK YOU FIRST, HOW
ARE YOU FEELING?
YOU LOOK REALLY WELL.
I FEEL GREAT. I'VE BEEN IN
TREATMENT FOR A YEAR AT THE
MAYO CLINIC.
MY DOCTORS AND TECHNICIANS ARE
JUST WONDERFUL FOLKS.
THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN TERRIFIC.
I FEEL GREAT. I
HAVEN'T MISSED ANY WORK OVER
IT.
IN FACT, MUCH TO THAT, I
HAVEN'T MISSED A VOTE.
YOU SEE IT WHEN THE REST OF
US DON'T.
HOW HAS HE BEEN HOLDING UP?
HE HAS BEEN DOING VERY WELL.
I'M IMPRESSED AND INSPIRED BY
HOW STRONG HE IS BEEN AND HOW
COMMITTED HE IS TO HIS JOB AND
FIGHTING FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE
FIRST DISTRICT. GOING OUT TO
WASHINGTON DC EVERY WEEK FOR
VOTES AND COMING BACK AND
WORKING ON THE WEEKENDS.
WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH
BATTLING A DIFFICULT DISEASE
LIKE THIS, IT'S CHALLENGING,
BUT HE'S BEEN SO STRONG THROUGH
IT ALL.
LET ME ASK YOU.
YOU ANNOUNCED THIS A YEAR AFTER
YOU WERE DIAGNOSED. WAS THAT
FAIR TO THE PEOPLE OF THE FIRST
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT?
WILL YOU PLAN TO EDUCATE AND
PUT REGULAR UPDATES THROUGHOUT
THE CAMPAIGN AS WELL AS IF YOU
WIN IN ANOTHER TERM?
I'M HAPPY TO GIVE REGULAR
UPDATES. I
HAD A YEARS WORTH OF DATA.
THE TREATMENTS WERE GOING WELL.
CANCER WAS TOTALLY IN REMISSION.
I HAD A YEARS WORTH OF DATA
SHOWING I DIDN'T MISS ANY WORK.
WENT BACK AND FORTH TO
WASHINGTON 39 TIMES, MADE
HUNDREDS OF STOPS ACROSS THE
DISTRICT. IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE
CAMPAIGN SEASON SEASON.
KIND OF THE PERFECT TIME TO LET
EVERYBODY KNOW, AND WE JUST
MOVED FORWARD.
YOU ARE NOT UNLIKE MANY
OTHER COUPLES IN MINNESOTA WHO
ARE FACING THIS KIND OF BATTLE,
WHETHER THEY ARE WORKING INSIDE
THE HOME OR OUTSIDE THE HOME.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE FOR
YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND I WILL ASK
THE SAME QUESTION OF YOU.
I THINK WHEN WE FOUND OUT
THE NEWS, IT WAS VERY SHOCKING.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU EXPECT
TO FIND OUT TWO MONTHS AFTER
YOU GET MARRIED.
YOU HAD JUST GOTTEN MARRIED.
OR AT ANY TIME IN YOUR LIFE.
CERTAINLY, THAT WAS SURPRISING,
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE
ARE EXPECTING.
THE BIGGEST THING IS TRYING TO
SPEND TIME TOGETHER, TRYING TO
SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND OUR
JOBS, TRYING TO STAY STRONG AS
A COUPLE AND COMMITTED TO WHAT
WE CARE ABOUT ABOUT.
AND HOW ABOUT YOU?
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE?
A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE FACE THIS
AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER.
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE TOLD
THEY HAVE CANCER.
HOPEFULLY, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE
THAT SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVE A
TYPE OF CANCER THAT CAN BE
TREATED AND LIVE A RELATIVELY
NORMAL LIFE AND HAVE HOPE FOR A
BRIGHT FUTURE.
THINGS ARE CHANGING.
THE TYPES OF TREATMENT, THE
IMMUNOTHERAPY, I JOKE THAT YOU
DON'T LOSE YOUR HAIR WITH THIS
TYPE OF CANCER.
SOME PEOPLE PROBABLY CAN'T TELL
THE DIFFERENCE. I THINK THERE'S
A LOT OF HOPE OUT THERE.
THESE BIOPHARMACEUTICAL CURES,
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
NEVER DID SURE THAT FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IN THE FUTURE, WITH TO DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ HELD YOUR
DISTRICT FOR 12 YEARS BEFORE HE
DECIDED TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR.
YOU WON BY LESS THAN 1500 VOTES
. YOU ARE A STRONG SUPPORTER OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE A
REFERENDUM IN THE FIRST
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT?
WELL, I THINK IT IS A
REFERENDUM ON PRESIDENT TRUMP
AND THE REPUBLICAN POLICIES TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A STRONG
DEFENSE, THAT WE ARE SECURING
BORDERS, WE HAVE A STRONG
ECONOMY LED BY THE GOVERNMENT,
AND WE ARE PROTECTING THE BASIC
RIGHTS.
WHILE WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
FORGET IS IN OUR DISTRICT, THAT
WAS ONE OF ONLY TWO IN THE
UNITED STATES TO TAKE
BACK A DEMOCRATIC SEAT. THE
OTHER ONE IS OUR FRIEND IN
MINNESOTA.
THESE SWING STATES DON'T
EXIST IN MOST PLACES.
WE WAY OVER PERFORMED.
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP ON TOP OF
THE TICKET AND DOWN TO THE
REPUBLICANS, I THINK IT IS A
CLEAR CONTRAST.
WHAT ABOUT THE FARMERS?
SOME HAVE BEEN HIT HARD BY THE
TARIFFS.
A LITTLE BIT OF A MISNOMER.
A LOT OF THEM REALIZE WE HAVE
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT CHINA LONG
AGO. IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP TO GET THE JOB
DONE.
THE FARMERS, THE MINNESOTA EGG
CONFERENCE, THEIR OPTIMISM IS
HIGH.
THEY HAVE THE TRADE DEAL
ESPECIALLY WITH THE UNITED
STATES, MEXICO, AND CANADA.
I'VE SUPPORTED PAVING THE WAY
FOR OTHER DEALS.
WILL THE GOP OVER PERFORMED
AGAIN TO A CERTAIN EXTENT HE IS
CORRECT AND PRESIDENT TRUMP
ALMOST CARRIED THE
STATE. WILL HE CARRY IT IN
2020?
WE ARE OPTIMISTIC HE CAN WIN
THE 10 ELECTORAL VOTES. THE
ENTHUSIASM FOR PRESIDENT ACROSS
THE STATE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
AND EAST TO WEST IS HIGHER I
BELIEVE THAN IT
WAS IN 2016.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE
REPUBLICAN OR CONSERVATIVE
LEANING THAT MAYBE DIDN'T VOTE
FOR THE PRESIDENT IN 2016 AND
THEY ARE SAYING, HEY, AFTER
WHAT I'VE SEEN THE PRESIDENT
DO, THE POSITIVE IMPACT IS
MADE, HE'S GOING TO HAVE MY
VOTE IN 2020.
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR
COMING IN.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU LOOKING SO
WELL.
