Quist making another run for Congress
Allen Quist is making another run for Congress in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. He is scheduled to formally announce his intentions on December 1, according to a letter he sent to GOP activists. The letter, obtained by MPR News, has a banner that says "Allen Quist for Congress, 'Restoring the American Dream."
"I am announcing to you that I will become a candidate for First District Congress," Quist's letter to activists said. "I intend to announce on December 1."
The letter said Quist will be making campaign stops in Winona, Rochester, Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna on Thursday. He'll campaign in Mankato, New Ulm, Fairmont and Worthington on Friday. Quist's wife, Julie Quist, declined to answer questions about the letter when contacted by MPR News.
"Allen will be announcing a decision next Thursday, December 1st, in Winona at 8:00 am," Julie Quist wrote in an e-mail "He won't be doing any interviews before that time."
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In his letter, Quist said he's making another run for Congress because "grassroots Republicans have encouraged him to run." He also said the country needed "leaders who understand that our country is being taken over a cliff."
Quist lost the GOP endorsement in 2010 to Randy Demmer. He also made two unsuccessful runs for governor in 1994 and 1998. He won the GOP endorsement for governor in 1994 but lost in the primary to incumbent Gov. Arne Carlson. Quist also served in the Minnesota House from 1983 until he retired in 1989.
Quist's decision means there will be an endorsement battle to see who will be the party's eventual nominee. Another Republican, state Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca, is also running.
The eventual GOP nominee is expected to square off with DFL Rep. Tim Walz. Walz was first elected in 2006.
The big question mark is how the court draws the new political boundaries for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. The current district extends across the southern border from South Dakota to Wisconsin. It includes Rochester, Worthington, Mankato, Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna and Winona.
A court appointed panel will release the new political boundaries on Feb. 21 if Gov. Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature can't reach agreement before then. The process known as redistricting requires every district to be equal population based on the once a decade population count by the U.S. Census.
(MPR's Rupa Shenoy contributed to this report)