Republican mobilizing in southern Minnesota

Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, who was strongly rumored to be throwing his hat into the ring for the 1st Congressional District in southern Minnesota, announced his support for Sen. Mike Parry on Monday.

Parry is so far the only challenger to Rep. Tim Walz, a DFLer who first won election in 2008 and was re-elected in 2010.

“After five years in Washington, Congressman Tim Walz has represented the values of Washington liberals like Nancy Pelosi and not the values of southern Minnesota,” Drazkowski said in a statement. “I’m convinced that Mike will build the grassroots campaign to defeat Congressman Walz. As a small business owner, he is best equipped to go to Washington and rein in wasteful government spending and jump-start our economy.”

Both Drazkowski and Parry are among the most conservative members of the Minnesota Legislature. Minnesota’s First Congressional District is one of the state’s most moderate. Since 1980, the district has been held for an equal number of years by both the DFL and the GOP.