Iraq Vet, Franken Staffer Joins DFL Field In 8th
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- An Iraq war veteran and former staffer to U.S. Sen. Al Franken is joining the Democratic race to unseat freshman Republican Chip Cravaack in northern Minnesota's 8th Congressional District.
The Duluth News Tribune reports Wednesday that Daniel Fanning served in Iraq with the Wisconsin National Guard. He tells the newspaper he's seen a lack of enthusiasm among Democrats for their other choices.
They are Jeff Anderson, a Duluth City councilman; Tarryl Clark, a former state senator who ran in the 6th District in 2010 and recently moved to Duluth; and Rick Nolan, who was a congressman in the 1970s.
In 2010, Cravaack unseated long-time Democratic Congressman Jim Oberstar. Fanning says he's running not just to reclaim the seat but to improve the lives of its residents.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
