FAIRMONT — Republican Jim Hagedorn and Democrat Dan Feehan have earned the respective endorsements of their parties in the race for Minnesota’s First Congressional District.

Both men are seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who is leaving Congress to run for governor of Minnesota.

Hagedorn, of Blue Earth, won the support of 218 delegates (of 286) to garner 76 percent of the vote on the first ballot at the Republican convention in Mankato on Saturday.

“It’s an honor to be endorsed by the Republican activists who form the backbone of our party, and I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with them over the next 199 days to ensure our common sense conservative message is delivered to every home, farm, business and campus across the First District,” Hagedorn said in press release.

Hagedorn bested state Sen. Carla Nelson of Rochester. She has said she will challenge Hagedorn in the Aug. 14 primary election.

At the Democratic convention on Saturday in Le Sueur, Feehan, of Mankato, secured the needed 60-plus percent of the vote on the second ballot, beating three other candidates who say they do not plan to challenge him in the primary.

“For the past nine months, we have traveled to all 21 counties in the district — from Luverne to La Crescent — with a message of service,” Feehan said in a press release. “We have talked about what we are for, not just what we are against. And we are running a campaign that puts people over politics, and that offers solutions to our toughest challenges — from health care and climate change, to building an economy that works for all Minnesotans.”

Hagedorn is hoping the third time is the charm in his quest for the congressional seat. He lost to Walz twice in the general election, but by a razor-thin margin in 2016, garnering 49.6 percent of the vote against the incumbent.

Hagedorn has said he wants to put a focus on the farm economy and the U.S. economy overall. He hopes to serve on the House ag committee. He also says he wants to keep America safe, securing the border and defending the nation from Islamic extremists. He supports the repeal of Obamacare, and reforming government, taxes and regulations. He is pro-life and backs religious freedom.

On her website, Nelson says she is a state Senate leader, a former teacher, a mother and a small business owner. She says she champions economic growth, fiscally responsible budgets, lower taxes, and pro-student and pro-parent education policies. She is also a small business owner.

If elected to Congress, Nelson says she will fight to repeal and replace Obamacare and fight gridlock by working with anyone who helps get results for the First District. She says infrastructure will be a priority.

Feehan is a newcomer to the political scene, but not to public service.

According to his website, Feehan was born in St. Paul and grew up in Red Wing. From 2005 to 2009, he served on active duty, completing two tours in Iraq, where he searched for roadside bombs, among other duties. He earned the Bronze Star. The week he left the Army in 2009, he began teaching first-graders on Chicago’s rough south side. He then spent two years teaching middle school math in Gary, Ind.

After graduate school, Feehan moved to Washington, D.C., joining the Obama administration, first as a White House Fellow, then as an acting Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. After finishing his time with the Obama administration, he moved back to Minnesota, to Mankato, where he writes and conducts research on the military.

For more information on Hagedorn, visit www.jimhagedorn.org

For more information on Feehan, visit www.danfeehan.com

For more information on Nelson, visit www.carlanelson.com