ST. PAUL — A GOP challenger is preparing for a second crack at United States Rep Rick Nolan.

Businessman Stewart Mills lost Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District to Nolan last year by less than 2 percentage points. Their race was one of the most expensive contests in the country.

Mills said Wednesday he’s preparing to launch another challenge in 2016. He says he’ll formally enter the race in October.

The Fleet Farm scion will face a presidential election-year electorate that tends to skew toward Democrats. He’ll echo some of the same criticism he lodged against Nolan last year, like his support of gun control measures and President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Nolan is in his fifth term representing the northeastern Minnesota district.

The Democrat announced this summer he’ll seek another term.