If misleading ads are one index of a hotly contested political race, then the battle for House District 11B is surely among the most vigorous in the state.

The last two election cycles have witnessed wave elections for both parties that tilted the Minnesota House of Representatives in polar opposite directions.

While this November’s legislative elections might still seem far off, the scene in east-central Minnesota’s House District 11B is marked by immediacy on both sides of the aisle.

The redistricting maps that were drawn by a panel of judges last winter significantly altered the area immediately southwest of Duluth. Eight-term incumbent Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson, was carved out of the new district that contained a lot of his old turf and he opted not to seek re-election.

After adjourning in the wee hours of Thursday morning, the Minnesota House of Representatives plunged ahead with the bittersweet biennial ritual of retirement speeches from departing members.

In recent weeks, local party activists around Minnesota have commandeered many a school auditorium to endorse candidates for state House and Senate races.

House and Senate races across the state are rapidly shaking out after the release of the 2012 legislative map last month. And with local endorsing conventions set to take place throughout March, incumbents and challengers alike have little time to make decisions about their political futures.

House and Senate races across the state are rapidly shaking out following the release of new legislative maps.

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., has received the 2010 Edward W. Brooke III Housing Leadership Award from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.