When she first hit the campaign trail, Jennifer Carnahan didn’t think she had a shot at winning.
Former Minnesota GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan wins Nisswa mayoral race
Jennifer Carnahan moved to Nisswa after years of legal troubles and the death of her husband, U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 6, 2024 at 3:23PM
But the former Minnesota GOP chair won the Nisswa mayoral race Tuesday night, unseating incumbent John Ryan, who has served on the Nisswa City Council for eight years and ran uncontested in 2022. That’s the year Carnahan moved to Nisswa after years of legal troubles and the death of her husband, U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District.
Ryan received 45% of the vote with all precincts reporting. Carnahan earned 54% of the vote.
Carnahan, 47, vacationed in Nisswa throughout childhood and it’s where her parents first met and still call home. It’s also where she owns a women’s boutique Primrose Park, which she first opened in northeast Minneapolis but relocated up north a decade ago.
Since then she has served on the Nisswa Downtown Council and Brainerd Lakes Chamber government relations committee.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The city has been using ranked-choice voting since 2021 to select the mayor and City Council members. A question on the November ballot asked voters if they wanted to repeal it.
