Businessman Jim Hagedorn ousted Army veteran Aaron Miller, the Republican Party-endorsed candidate, in the First Congressional District's Republican primary.

After failing to win the party endorsement and bowing out, Hagedorn re-entered the race in May "at the urging of quite a few people inside the Republican Party," who felt that Miller wasn't devoting enough time to the campaign, Hagedorn said.

"They felt that [Miller's campaign] wasn't strong enough to beat an incumbent congressman," Hagedorn said.

Hagedorn – whose father once represented southern Minnesota in Congress -- now faces Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, who is seeking a fifth term in the House.

The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Republicans' campaign arm, had pegged Miller as an up-and-coming candidate in the race against Walz.

The First District covers southern Minnesota.