Dario Anselmo will again challenge Rep. Ron Erhardt, DFL-Edina, in an important suburban House race.
Anselmo, who owned the Fine Line, the Minneapolis rock club that hosted everyone from the Pixies to President Bill Clinton, ran as a moderate Republican in 2014 and lost by fewer than 3 percentage points.
Erhardt, who specializes in transportation funding, first represented the district as a Republican for nearly two decades before losing his seat after supporting a gas tax. He returned to the House, switching parties and winning in the DFL wave of 2012.
Erhardt came under fire during the 2015 legislative session when he appeared to make light of the bird flu crisis with a meandering speech on the floor of the House, donning a lab coat and stethoscope, for which he later apologized.
The battle for the House is expected to be closely contested. A GOP pickup in Erhardt's district would damage prospects of DFL hopes to regain control after losing 10 seats and the Speaker's gavel in 2014.
