Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn dead at 59

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Rep. Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., passed away at the age of 59, his wife Jennifer Carnahan announced on Facebook.

Hagedorn announced a reoccurrence of kidney cancer last July and had tested positive for COVID-19 last month. A cause of death was not mentioned in Carnahan's Facebook post.

Hagedorn was elected to represent Minnesota's mostly rural 1st Congressional District south of Minneapolis in 2018. Shortly after being sworn in, he was first diagnosed with kidney cancer.

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Hagedorn's office informed Republican leadership of his death Friday morning, Fox News is told. 

"Jim loved our country and loved representing the people of southern Minnesota," Carnahan wrote. "Every moment of every day he lived his dream by serving others. There was no stronger conservative in our state than my husband; and it showed in how he voted, led and fought for our country."

Hagedorn is the third House member to die during the 117th Congress. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, and Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., died last year. Also, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, R-La., died in December 2020 from complications related to COVID-19 after being elected but was never sworn in.

The new breakdown in the House is 433 members: 222 Democrats, 211 Republicans and two vacancies – Hagedorn's seat and the seat of former Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who resigned.

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Carnahan described him as a "loving husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, friend, brother-in-law, son-in-law, Vikings, Penguins and Twins fan."

"While nothing can accurately prepare you for the unimaginable pain, intense sorrow, suffocating grief and seemingly never-ending emptiness that engulfs the entire body, soul and spirit when your forever love passes away; at least we can smile knowing Jim is smiling from heaven encouraging us to keep chasing our dreams, loving unconditionally and fighting for the country," she continued.

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"Jim Hagedorn, I love you," Carnahan concluded. "I miss you. I feel empty without you. I will forever be holding your hand."

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.