Ex-Sen. Coleman’s group drops $600K on 8th Dist. race

Republican congressional candidate Stewart Mills will get a $600,000 assist from the American Action Network this fall.

The money is part of an $8 million ad campaign in nine competitive congressional districts aimed at helping Republicans keep and win new seats in the U.S. House. The ads will run in the Twin Cities area and and on the web in late October, according to the group, which is based in Washington, D.C. and chaired by former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman.

Mills is running against DFL Rep. Rick Nolan, who has held the seat for two years.

Mills is one of the group's top candidates because he's a better fit for the district than Nolan, said spokeswoman Emily Davis.

"Nolan has a record that is significantly left to the district, which tends to be a little more moderate," she said. "We believe that Stewart Mills is a rising star, a center-right candidate."

The American Action Network spent $1.7 million on the race between Nolan and GOP incumbent Chip Cravaack in 2012. Davis said it's likely the group will spend more on television advertising and web ads as Election Day gets closer.

Generally speaking, campaign spending by outside groups needs to be disclosed. But in this case, the American Action Network is a non-profit and that means the group doesn't have to say who is giving them money.

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