Background
Takala was born in Rush City, Minnesota and grew up on a dairy farm in neighboring Pine City.
Takala was born in Rush City, Minnesota and grew up on a dairy farm in neighboring Pine City.
Hamline University.
Takala was homeschooled for nine years prior to earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in Legal Studies & Economics in 2009 from Hamline University. Takala was 20 years old at the time of his graduation. Takala was elected chairman of Minnesota"s Pine County Republicans at the age of 18.
In early 2009, Takala announced his decision to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in House district 8B, which at the time encompassed all of Kanabec County and parts of Pine & Isanti counties.
Takala earned a reputation for fiery populist rhetoric and oratory ability during the campaign, winning a 55% majority vote by Republican delegates for endorsement by the Republican Party of Minnesota on March 23, 2010. Takala lost the primary election to Roger Crawford on August 10, 2010.
He carried his own Pine County by 696 votes to 486 votes for his opponent, equating to a tally of 58% to 42%. lieutenant was also during the campaign that Takala began holding forum-themed meetings named "Simply Right," which were frequented by luminaries of the Minnesota Republican Party.
Guests who have appeared at the meetings have included Tony Sutton, a former chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party.
The Republican Party"s 2010 gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Pat Anderson, Minnesota"s state auditor from 2002–2006. Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack.
And Kurt Bills, the Republican Party"s 2012 candidate for United States Senate.
The group evolved into a political action committee in 2011. Takala served as its executive director
After running for the Minnesota House, Takala wrote and provided occasional commentary on Minnesota politics. In 2011, he was quoted by Politics in Minnesota as saying of Republicans in the state legislature, "There was too much talk about the rate of growth.. we should have been talking about cutting."
2010 Primary election for Minnesota House of Representatives – District 8BRoger Crawford (R) 59.09% (1,820 votes)
Rudy Takala (R) 40.91% (1,260 votes)
Tim Faust (DFL), 100.00% (3,050 votes)
2010 Republican Endorsement for Minnesota House of Representatives – District 8B
Rudy Takala (R) 55.5% (56 votes)
Roger Crawford (R) 45.5% (43 votes).
He was re-elected against one of his party"s former candidates for Congress in 2009 with 60% of the vote, and again in 2011. He was frequently referred to as a Tea Party candidate over the course of the campaign, at length by Politics in Minnesota in an article titled "Grand Old Party or Tea Party?" and briefly in a featured story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune published shortly before the election. He was often critical of both major political parties for not doing enough to slow the rate of government growth in Minnesota.
He remains a member of the Republican Party, having received 1,214 votes at the 2012 Minnesota State Republican Convention and placing 5th to become a delegate to the Republican Party"s National Convention in Tampa.