Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan announced Friday he would skip another uphill climb to re-election and retire from his northeastern Minnesota congressional seat, leaving a wide-open race in a swing district that has attracted tens of millions of dollars in outside spending in recent elections. Nolan narrowly won three terms in the 8th District starting in 2012, reviving a career in Congress that began with a stint in the 1970s. But he faced another certain barrage from Republicans who see a chance to win one of a few Democratic districts that President Donald Trump won. Long considered a labor-controlled and liberal stronghold, the 8th Congressional District has trended toward Republicans in the last decade as redistricting has brought more GOP-leaning bedroom communities into the fold. "This seat was already one of our best pickup opportunities and we look forward to turning this seat Republican in November," said Matt Gorman, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Source: ABC News February 09, 2018 15:30 UTC