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The Minnesota DFL Party on Saturday endorsed Jeff Ettinger of Austin for Congress at the 1st District Congressional District convention in Albert Lea.

Ettinger won 68% of the vote on the second ballot, according to a press release from his campaign.

“I’m honored to have earned the support of DFLers from every corner of the district,” Ettinger said in a statement. “Our victory today exemplifies strength in our shared DFL values and the broad appeal of our campaign across southern Minnesota. With this endorsement, my campaign moves forward in a strong position to win the primary in May, the special election in August and the general election in November. This victory also exemplifies the effectiveness of a campaign centered in southern Minnesota values.” 

Ettinger will appear on the ballot for the special election primary on May 24, and will be the DFL-endorsed candidate for the special general election in August. 

Ettinger, who served as Hormel Foods Corps. CEO for 11 years, has previously stated he is running as a moderate Democrat. He served as Hormel CEO from 2005 to 2016 and oversaw one of the most successful years of the company’s history including increases in sales, earnings, shareholder value and the number of jobs.

In 2016, Ettinger was named one of the World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s and before that in 2012 was named Responsible CEO of the Year by Corporate Responsibility magazine.

He is vying for the seat previously held by Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Hagedorn, who died in February after battling cancer.