One Republican challenger is in, another is out in the 1st Congressional District.

After taking a pounding from Congressman Tim Walz in the 2012 general election, Republicans in the 1st Congressional District appear to be dusting themselves off and getting serious about preventing the Mankato Democrat from winning a fifth term.

It’s a bit of déjà vu for Republican activists in the 1st Congressional District. Just two years ago, delegates at the endorsing convention had to pick between state legislator Randy Demmer and former legislator and conservative stalwart Allen Quist for the party’s backing in the race.

It was just a 176-word campaign email, but Sen. Mike Parry hit all the right notes: attacking Gov. Mark Dayton’s child care unionization order; lambasting labor; providing links to news coverage; and taking aim at the next opponent on his political horizon, DFL U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, whose congressional seat Parry hopes to claim in 2012.

Longtime conservative stalwart Allen Quist put weeks of rumors to rest early Thursday morning at the Country Kitchen in Winona, where he officially launched his second run for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.

In 2010 U.S. Rep. Tim Walz survived a Republican wave. Despite representing a quintessential swing district, Walz triumphed over state Rep. Randy Demmer by 5 percentage points.