Brad Finstad

U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad (left) and Jake Johnson (right).

(FOX 9) - The race in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District between Republican Rep. Brad Finstad and DFL challenger Jake Johnson remains too close to call.

FULL LIST: Minnesota 2026 election results

As of Wednesday morning, the race between Democrat Jake Johnson and Republican Brad Finstad remains too close to call, with Johnson holding a narrow 324-vote lead.

Despite no official winner being declared, Johnson and the Minnesota DFL have declared victory.

"I'm honored to serve you as our next congressman from southern Minnesota. Let's get to work," Johnson wrote on social media.

Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom also celebrated Johnson's apparent victory. "Now southern Minnesotans finally have a representative in Congress who works as hard as they do: Jake Johnson," Carlbom said in a statement.

Minnesota's First Congressional District includes nearly all of southern Minnesota, including all or part of Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Jackson, Martin, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Rice, Rock, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Watonwan and Winona counties.

Rep. Brad Finstad has served the 1st Congressional District since 2022 after succeeding the late Jim Hagedorn. Finstad is a fourth-generation farmer from the New Ulm area. Before serving in Congress, Finstad was Minnesota's state director for USDA Rural Development.

Finstad is a University of Minnesota graduate who earned a degree in agriculture from the U. He is a father to seven children. He and his wife Jackie own an agriculture business in New Ulm and work with their extended family to run their family farm.

Jake Johnson grew up in Stewartville with 10 siblings and has taught high school math for 20 years. He and his wife, Molly, a paraprofessional, have four sons. His campaign says he mowed lawns and relied on Pell Grants to afford college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Johnson has represented his fellow teachers as a bargaining team member for his union and served on the board of Minnesota Jump$tart Coalition, an organization that aims to improve the financial literacy for children and young adults.

The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press' election results, campaign websites and FOX 9 reporting.