There's a scramble going on in the 3rd Congressional District.
Rep. Jim Ramstad's, R-Minnetonka, decision not to seek another term in the U.S. House has hopefuls from three parties angling to replace the long-serving Ramstad. by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
There's a scramble going on in the 3rd Congressional District.
Rep. Jim Ramstad's, R-Minnetonka, decision not to seek another term in the U.S. House has hopefuls from three parties angling to replace the long-serving Ramstad.
Three Democrats are vying for their party endorsement and an Independence Party candidate has announced his candidacy.
David Dillon, 52, who grew up in a DFL household to become a Republican before later losing his political allegiance, is the Independence Party candidate.
On the Republican side, former House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen, R-Eden Prairie, 42, has a clear field and has demonstrated success at amassing campaign donations.
Ashwin Madia
Things are more chaotic with Democrats with two elected officials and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and first-generation Indian-American, Ashwin Madia, looking to claim the 3rd District for DFLers, something not seen in years.
Like State Senator Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, and Edina Mayor Jim Hovland, Madia points to experience as a selling point to 3rd District voters.
No, he has no legislative record, concedes Madia. "I'm not a politician," said Madia, 30, an attorney. "I'm the one person in this race that's coming at you from a fresh perspective," he said. "I haven't been sitting in committee meetings in St. Paul. I've been patrolling around Baghdad as a U.S. Marine," said Madia, wbo advocates a gradual pull-out from Iraq and served as an attorney in the country.
Understands U.S. military
He understands the U.S. military, said Madia.
Others may talk knowingly about it, but he's seen its internal workings as a U.S. Marine, he said.
Madia views the war and the national economy as linked. "They're tied together," he said.
"We spent so far $700 billion in Iraq. That's money we could have been investing on our nation's infrastructure. Or on our health care system. Or investing in trying to bring manufacturing jobs back to this country," said Madia. "We must deal with Iraq before we deal with many issues facing our country because it is such a drain on our country's resources," said Madia.
Madia moved back into the 3rd District last fall, having gone to school in the distict.
Teri Bonoff
Bonoff, 50 - the I-35W bridge collapsing on her last birthday - won a special election to the Senate in 2005 when the Republican senator from Senate District 43 resigned to join the Pawlenty Administration.
She won re-election in 2006,
"It would have been better for me if Congressman Ramstad had given me a couple of more years (before he retired) - so I would have been in the Senate a little bit longer," Bonoff said.
"I am proud of my record as a state senator and I believe that record will be able to compete head-to-head with Representative Paulsen," she said.
Indeed, Bonoff argues that her DFL rivals lack exactly that - a definable record.
She views that as a weakness Paulsen can exploit. "They're (Madia and Hovland) going to say,
Rep. Jim Ramstad's, R-Minnetonka, decision not to seek another term in the U.S. House has hopefuls from three parties angling to replace the long-serving Ramstad. by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
There's a scramble going on in the 3rd Congressional District.
Rep. Jim Ramstad's, R-Minnetonka, decision not to seek another term in the U.S. House has hopefuls from three parties angling to replace the long-serving Ramstad.
Three Democrats are vying for their party endorsement and an Independence Party candidate has announced his candidacy.
David Dillon, 52, who grew up in a DFL household to become a Republican before later losing his political allegiance, is the Independence Party candidate.
On the Republican side, former House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen, R-Eden Prairie, 42, has a clear field and has demonstrated success at amassing campaign donations.
Ashwin Madia
Things are more chaotic with Democrats with two elected officials and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and first-generation Indian-American, Ashwin Madia, looking to claim the 3rd District for DFLers, something not seen in years.
Like State Senator Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, and Edina Mayor Jim Hovland, Madia points to experience as a selling point to 3rd District voters.No, he has no legislative record, concedes Madia. "I'm not a politician," said Madia, 30, an attorney. "I'm the one person in this race that's coming at you from a fresh perspective," he said. "I haven't been sitting in committee meetings in St. Paul. I've been patrolling around Baghdad as a U.S. Marine," said Madia, wbo advocates a gradual pull-out from Iraq and served as an attorney in the country.
Understands U.S. military
He understands the U.S. military, said Madia.
Others may talk knowingly about it, but he's seen its internal workings as a U.S. Marine, he said.
Madia views the war and the national economy as linked. "They're tied together," he said.
"We spent so far $700 billion in Iraq. That's money we could have been investing on our nation's infrastructure. Or on our health care system. Or investing in trying to bring manufacturing jobs back to this country," said Madia. "We must deal with Iraq before we deal with many issues facing our country because it is such a drain on our country's resources," said Madia.
Madia moved back into the 3rd District last fall, having gone to school in the distict.
Teri Bonoff
Bonoff, 50 - the I-35W bridge collapsing on her last birthday - won a special election to the Senate in 2005 when the Republican senator from Senate District 43 resigned to join the Pawlenty Administration.
She won re-election in 2006,
"It would have been better for me if Congressman Ramstad had given me a couple of more years (before he retired) - so I would have been in the Senate a little bit longer," Bonoff said.
"I am proud of my record as a state senator and I believe that record will be able to compete head-to-head with Representative Paulsen," she said.Indeed, Bonoff argues that her DFL rivals lack exactly that - a definable record.
She views that as a weakness Paulsen can exploit. "They're (Madia and Hovland) going to say,
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