Cole Mourns the Loss of Congressman Jim Hagedorn

Statement

Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement on the passing of his friend and colleague, Congressman Jim Hagedorn, who represented the First District of Minnesota.

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend Representative Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota. Jim was a dear friend and a model Member of Congress," said Cole.

"The son of a former Member of Congress and a former congressional staffer himself, Jim ran for the House three times before he achieved his lifelong dream of representing the people of the district and the state that he loved so deeply.

"I met Jim as he worked to win his seat and assisted him in his efforts. I was proud to do so. I felt instinctively that he would be a diligent and serious member of the House -- hardworking, principled, decent and civil to his colleagues. He was all those things and more.

"Jim was a workhorse, not a show horse. He represented the views and values of his constituents. Early in his all too brief career, he became a staunch advocate for the Mayo Clinic, which was located in his district, and for the importance of biomedical research -- a cause we worked on together.

"I will miss Jim Hagedorn as a friend and a colleague. The people of the First District of Minnesota have lost a hardworking member who always put their interests first. The House has lost a fine member. And I have lost a valued and dear friend."

Source