Lifelong politician Tad Jude launches congressional campaign

Long-time politician Tad Jude announced Tuesday he is running for the third congressional seat, becoming the fifth Republican vying for the nomination in a seemingly safe Democratic district.

In a press statement released Tuesday, the St. Cloud born politician said, if elected, he would focus on repairing an inefficient system in Washington.

"The promise of Minnesota and the promise of America need saving," Jude said in the release. "Community safety, a broken immigration system and a budget running out of control are at the forefront."

Jude has a long history in Minnesota politics. Elected at just 20-years-old, the Maple Grove resident became the youngest ever legislator elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives where he served for 10 years before being elected to the Minnesota Senate, serving all terms as a member of the DFL party. In 1989, Jude was elected to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.

The 72-year-old switched from the DFL party to Republican in 1992. In 1994, he ran an unsuccessful bid for the sixth congressional seat and again in 1996.

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Most recently, Jude served as a district court judge in Washington County until 2021. In 2022, Jude ran for two different seats before dropping out from each after not receiving enough support: Minnesota Attorney General, and Hennepin County Attorney.

During his time in the legislature, Jude was the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and worked to convert abandoned railways to public trails as well as developed a composting site in Hennepin County.

"I understand our diverse communities' unique needs and aspirations," he said.

In November, current Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips announced his bid for the presidency and declared he would not seek reelection for congress. Soon after, two Democrats, practicing OBGYN and State Rep. Kelly Morrison, and DNC executive board member Ron Harris, announced their campaigns.

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The third congressional district covers the area from Anoka to Bloomington and eastwards as far as St. Bonifacius. Phillips flipped the seat to blue in 2018 and was handily re-elected after receiving 60% of the vote. There are currently four other Republicans running for the nomination: Blaize Harty, Brad Kohler, James Page and Quentin Wittrock.

The Republican primary will be held August 13.

—Sam Woodward is the Minnesota elections reporting fellow for USA Today. You can reach her at swoodward@gannett.com or on X @woodyreports.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: GOP former legislator running for Phillips congressional seat