Jerald Loud, a DFL legislative candidate in a high-profile race, was found to have "battered" his then-wife in a judge's divorce ruling more than 30 years ago, which also granted a restraining order to the woman.
Loud, a 10-year Navy veteran from Puposky, Minn., who runs a program for needy families for the Red Lake Nation, is competing for an open seat now held by a Republican.
The race in northern Minnesota — pitting Loud against Matt Grossell, a retired Clearwater County sheriff's deputy — will be one of the most closely watched in the November elections, as the DFL tries to flip seven seats to take back the House majority it lost in 2014.
The incident highlights how party officials can be unaware of personal problems of candidates, particularly as both parties are trying to find candidates for hundreds of legislative and statewide races.
In 2014, Republicans overwhelmingly endorsed Michelle MacDonald as a candidate for state Supreme Court justice. They later learned that she had been arrested a year before for drunken driving and that she was awaiting trial, prompting GOP officials to ban her from the party's State Fair booth.
"As a general rule, we stay out of endorsing decisions," said Zach Rodvold, a spokesman for the House DFL caucus.
After a trial in January 1984, District Judge Terrance Holter ruled that Loud had "battered" his wife, and said he had "reason to believe that without a restraining order of this Court, such activity might occur again."
Loud's ex-wife, Annette C. Bellino, said in an interview that Loud's abuse had sent her to the emergency room several times. She said Loud had smashed her through Sheetrock walls and had suffocated her until she passed out. She took her daughter and ran to Texas to hide from Loud, who she said had threatened to kill her.
