As state elections heat up, a closer look at the race for the Eighth

The countdown is underway to Minnesota's primary election on August 14. One region that's seen new twists this week is Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the state.

When Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced her run for governor on Monday, she picked retiring congressman Rick Nolan as her running mate. Meanwhile, a flurry of candidates have filed paperwork to vie for Nolan's seat in the U.S. House.

Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer checked in with Aaron Brown about the political strategy behind Swanson's choice of running mate — and what's going on in the race for the Eighth.

Brown is a DFLer, writer, Hibbing Community College instructor, and radio producer. He blogs about Minnesota politics at minnesotabrown.com.

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