4th DFLer Daniel Fanning enters 8th District race

A fourth Democrat has entered the race to try to unseat first term Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack, who scored a surprising victory last November over longtime incumbent Jim Oberstar.

Daniel Fanning announced his candidacy last night on Facebook. Fanning enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and served for six years, including one year in Iraq. Fanning managed state Sen. John Marty's gubernatorial campaign in 2009. He resigned his position running Sen. Al Franken's Duluth office to run for the seat.

"I think people are just kind of tired as politics as usual, and I offer something different," he said. "I've worked on federal issues, but I haven't served in public office myself and I think people are excited about that."

Fanning, a self-described progressive who will be 31 in two weeks, said his youth is an asset.

"I'm a little tired of the old, white rich guys calling all the shots in DC, so I think a breath of fresh air will be a good thing for the U.S. Congress," Fanning said.

Fanning joins a DFL primary race that already includes Duluth City Councilor Jeff Anderson, former state Sen. Tarryl Clark, and former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Fanning was currently running Sen. Al Franken's Duluth office. The current version is correct.