Republican Stewart Mills is making his second attempt to unseat Eighth District Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan.
"We're looking to pick up right where we left off," Mills said on Monday, in advance of his official Tuesday announcement. "Because we came so close, the campaign is now officially back together and we are going to build upon our successes from last time."
Mills came within 4,000 votes of ousting Nolan in 2014, a loss the Republican attributed to a weak showing from Republicans running for governor and U.S. Senate.
"What did I learn in that first race? There are factors that are out of your control," Mills said.
On the flip side, last year was a strong Republican year in non-statewide races. Republicans took over the Minnesota House and the GOP did well nationwide.
Next year is a presidential year. In most presidential years, Minnesota Democrats pick up a few percentage points.
But Mills, who has replaced his first-time-candidate naiveté with the analysis of a seasoned veteran, said that does not concern him. The scion to the Mills Fleet Farm family said that he has already done polling that show him doing well no matter who is running for president.
"We've done polling, we've done voter turnout projections. We know what we need to do," he said. He said that may include more television ads and a better ground game.
That may include a costlier race than the one he ran last year. In 2014, the Minnesota Eighth District race cost $17 million with much of the money coming from outside groups.
Mills raised more than $2 million for his campaign, $360,000 of which he loaned his own campaign.
"We're prepared to put more in," he said Monday. According to personal financial disclosure documents he filed last year, his net worth between $34 million and $115 million. He laughed when asked whether he would invest millions in his rerun but said, "I'm going to do what it takes. I'm not going to go through everything I went through last time to lose by 1.4 percent."
With a swipe at Mills (and a note that he is the third Stewart Mills to remind voters of his legacy money), Nolan said in a statement that he welcomed his former rival to the race.
"I welcome Mr. Mills III back into the race, and I'm looking forward to a positive campaign based on facts and issues affecting the voters in the 8th Congressional District -- a campaign very much different from the negative and misleading campaign Mr. Mills III and his allies have already launched against me here," Nolan said.
Mills said unemployment, under employment and Iron Range lay offs will be key issues for his campaign.
He said he would also stress the need to replace MNsure and the federal health care overhaul.
"People are paying a lot more and getting a lot less," Mills said. He said Minnesotans should be able to buy health care across state lines and have price transparency for their health care decisions. He would also back transferable health savings accounts and specialized courts to deal with medical malpractice suits.
One thing he does not want to talk about any more: His hair.
Nearly every national article about the closely watched race long lingered on Mills' shoulder length hair. Mills now has shorn locks.
'My wife finally allowed me to cut my hair. She loved the long hair. She loves reading romance novels...she finally relented and I cut my hair," Mills said. "Some voters liked the long hair, some voters hated it but it's a new election cycle."
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