Former Congressman Rick Nolan says he's got a commanding lead in the DFL race for party endorsement to run against Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack in the 8th District.

Nolan Campaign Manager Michael Misterek said in a statement: “We’re now more than halfway through the delegate selection process, and we have taken a commanding lead in delegates elected. This is a testament to the strong grassroots organization we’ve built and the fact that we have a campaign that is connecting with voters across the district."

He said Nolan has won all 14 district conventions held so far, with five more conventions next weekend, "all in counties where Nolan demonstrated strong support and won by wide margins in the February 7 caucus straw poll."

Also running for the DFL nomination are Duluth City Council Member Jeff Anderson and former State Sen. Tarryl Clark, and the candidate who emerges to battle Cravaack won't be decided in the nominating conventions because Clark says she'll go on to a summer primary, regardless of who gets the party nod.

Earlier this month she said that not everyone participates in the endorsing process, so she'll take it to a primary: "This is bigger than politics, this is bigger than process," she said.

Nolan and Anderson expressed disappointment in her plan.