[citation needed] Carnahan earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where she majored in broadcast journalism.

[6] Carnahan began her career working with private businesses on branding, including McDonald's, General Mills, and Ecolab.

In 2016, she was a Republican candidate for the 59th district in the Minnesota Senate, but lost to incumbent Democrat Bobby Joe Champion.

The incentive is meant to recognize the extra work involved in securing those large donations, which is the primary duty of any party chair.

"[13] On April 10, 2021, Carnahan was reelected as chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, defeating State Senator Mark Koran with 67% of the vote.

[15] In August 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Anton Lazzaro, a prominent Republican political operative and fundraiser, on child sex trafficking charges.

[17] In a statement released to the media after Lazzaro's indictment, Carnahan condemned his alleged actions and pledged to donate funds received from him to charity.

[19] On March 16, 2022, after the death of her husband, U.S. Representative Jim Hagedorn, Carnahan announced her candidacy in the special election to fill his seat in Minnesota's 1st congressional district.

I am committed to continuing my husband's legacy of fighting to secure the border, defending conservative values, safeguarding the integrity of our elections, and serving the people of Minnesota's First Congressional District.