The 201 legislative seats on this November's general election ballot include 23 races featuring intra-party challenges that will be settled in Tuesday's partisan primary.

The Taxpayers League of Minnesota is upset by print advertisement placed by Republican Sen. Paul Koering in newspapers across his central Minnesota district.

Embattled state Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, DFL-Fridley, paid off the $250,000 in back taxes he owed just in time for the Aug. 10 primary.

Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel was surprised to get a letter from the Republican Party of Minnesota at his office. He was even more surprised when he saw what they wanted: a slew of law enforcement records on one of the party’s own elected members, state Sen. Paul Koering of Fort Ripley.

A scene from a recent Thursday night in east central Minnesota: Roughly 100 people are gathered in the basement of Tobies Restaurant & Bakery in Hinckley. The occasion is a fundraiser for Republican state House candidate Rudy Takala, a 21-year-old conservative firebrand who is seeking to oust two-term DFL Rep. Tim Faust.

A handful of Democrats are preparing for competitive contests in the rapidly approaching Aug. 10 primary, and recently released campaign finance reports could show if they have the support to win.

Republicans are slated to squared off in a handful of competitive state legislative primary contests on August 10. In most instances, the GOP rivals are vying to take on a DFL incumbent in districts that look winnable.

TakeAction Minnesota's endorsement contest in Senate District 67 was expected to be tight with nine candidates vying for the group's backing. But Vang Lor swamped the field on the first ballot, garnering 84 percent of the votes cast on Saturday.

Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton said the recent blow up over the Party's digging into GOP state Sen. Paul Koering’s law enforcement records is “much ado about nothing.”

Traditionally, there have been a number of more or less well-worn paths to the Minnesota Legislature. They include backgrounds in local government, business, and partisan political activism. Each, in its own way, has tended to breed familiarity with the levers of government and how they operate.