Pierson joins race for First Congressional District

State Rep. Nels Pierson has become the latest candidate to enter the race for Minnesota’s First Congressional District seat.

The Rochester lawmaker made the announcement Friday, saying be believes his record in the Legislature has proven him to be a problem-solver who can make government work for people, not against them.

“As a state legislator, I’ve worked in a collaborative way to pass the priorities of southern Minnesota,” Pierson said in a statement. “Similarly, as president of a construction company, I’ve worked with developers and builders to find solutions to get jobs done. In helping people find solutions that last, I’ve made their priorities my priorities.”

Pierson has served in the Minnesota House since 2014. The latest redistricting process, however, placed him in the same district as longtime DFL Rep. Tina Liebling. The new House 24A seat covers much of south and southwest Rochester, representing an uphill battle for Republicans.

In making a run at the Congressional seat, Pierson joins an increasingly crowded field of candidates looking to succeed the late Congressman Jim Hagedorn, who died last month after a battle with kidney cancer.

On the Republican side, candidates include state Rep. Jeremy Munson, former state Rep. Brad Finstad, and Albert Lea attorney Matt Benda. Jennifer Carnahan, Hagedorn’s widow and a former chair of the Minnesota Republican Party, is also mulling a run, according to reports.

DFL candidates for the seat include former Hormel CEO Jeff Ettinger, Red Wing bookseller Richard DeVoe, and University of Minnesota professor and former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter.

The special election to fill the First Congressional seat will be held on August 9, with primaries scheduled for May 24. Candidates must file to run for the special election by March 15. The winner will then have to run again during the general election in November to hold on to the seat.

Cover photo: Nels Pierson / Official