MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Republicans and Democrats in Minnesota's 1st District have picked their candidates for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Democrat Tim Walz.

Reports Democrats picked Dan Feehan at the party's endorsing convention Saturday in Le Sueur. Just a few miles south in Mankato, the GOP on Saturday endorsed Jim Hagedorn over state Sen. Carla Nelson, who has said she will run in the primary without the party endorsement.

Feehan is an Iraq War veteran and former Pentagon official. Hagedorn is a businessman and former federal employee.

Walz decided to run for governor instead of seeking re-election the district representing southern Minnesota.

Walz beat Hagedorn by less than 1 percentage point in 2016 in a race that wasn't expected to be close.

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