Nobody knows what the legislative maps will look like in 2012. The politically charged redistricting process will almost certainly be decided by the courts, most likely in February. But that uncertainty over legislative district boundaries hasn’t stopped numerous challengers on both sides of the aisle from declaring their candidacies.

State Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, will run a television ad during Monday Night Football. Bonoff is among suburban candidates who are taking advantage of cable television's geographically specific reach.

This week's distribution of state public campaign subsidy checks are a windfall particularly for DFL legislative candidates.

The Voices of Conservative Women political action committee (VOICESPAC), based in Maple Grove, has endorsed eight candidates for the Minnesota state Legislature, three in the Senate and five in the House.