Joe Radinovich jumps into race for Congress in northeastern Minnesota (Nolan's seat)

Joe Radinovich, a former state representative, announced Thursday that he will run to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan in northeastern Minnesota. The decision comes just weeks after he took the job as chief of staff to new Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

"Northeastern Minnesota is who I am, where I'm from, and what I'll always fight for," Radinovich said in a statement.

Radinovich, 31, is from Crosby. He was elected to the state House in 2012 and served one two-year term, but lost to a Republican challenger in 2014. In 2016, Radinovich managed Nolan's re-election campaign, a close race that Nolan won by just 2,009 votes in one of the most expensive and hard-fought congressional contests in the U.S.

Last year, Radinovich jumped into Minneapolis politics by managing Frey's mayoral campaign. When Frey won, he tapped Radinovich to lead his office as chief of staff.

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Donald Trump won the Eighth Congressional District by 16 points in 2016, making it a top prospect for Republicans looking to pick up seats held by Democrats. The leading Republican contender is Pete Stauber, a St. Louis County Commissioner. Radinovich joins several DFLers already in the race — Leah Phifer, a former FBI intelligence analyst and political newcomer; and North Branch Mayor Kirsten Hagen Kennedy.

http://www.startribune.com/radinovich-jumps-into-race-for-congress-in-northeastern-minnesota/474184403/