Duluth City Councilor Roger Reinert issued a media release Sunday evening saying he will announce his candidacy for the Minnesota Legislature at a press conference at noon Monday at the Lake Superior Zoo.
Reinert will seek the House District 7B seat being vacated by longtime DFL state Rep. Mike Jaros who announced last week that he would not seek another term after 32 years in the Legislature.
The district includes most of Duluth's western and downtown neighborhoods and Park Point. Reinert will run as a DFler.
Reinert, 37, first was appointed to the city council in late 2003 to fill the at-large seat held by Herb Bergson who was elected mayor that year. Reinert was elected in 2005 and was the top vote getter among at-large candidates. He is not up for re-election until 2009, so he would retain his council seat if he loses the legislative race.
Brandon Clokey, a residential designer, and Allan Kehr, president of the Arrowhead Multi Housing Association, have said they will run for the Jaros seat as well.
