Senate District 22 covers a sprawling nine-county swath of southwestern Minnesota that borders both South Dakota and Iowa. Partisans on both sides agree that the district is staunchly conservative.

A few months ago, nobody thought Sen. Mike Parry could lose a congressional primary to Allen Quist. But he managed.

Republican 1st Congressional District candidates Mike Parry and Allen Quist may have spent the last few weeks trading barbs in press releases and news accounts, but many of those who actually live in the state’s southernmost district haven’t seemed to notice.

The Republican Party of Minnesota faces numerous lingering questions about the state of its finances heading into the 2012 election season. Last month GOP officials announced that an internal financial review determined that the party has $2 million in debts. That’s roughly four times more than most party activists had been led to believe just a month earlier.

At least five Republicans are seeking to challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Walz in the First Congressional District. GOP activists will gather in Mankato on Saturday to determine which candidate gets the party's endorsement.