Jan 27, 2008 6:20 pm US/Central
Paulsen Formally Announces U.S. House Campaign
MINNETONKA, Minn. (AP) ―
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The Republican from Eden Prairie is running for the 3rd District seat currently held by his political mentor, U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., who plans to retire when his term ends at the end of the year.
CBS
State Rep. Erik Paulsen formally announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday.
The Republican from Eden Prairie is running for the 3rd District seat currently held by his political mentor, U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., who plans to retire when his term ends at the end of the year.
"I will not be outhustled in this campaign," Paulsen said at a rally at Scenic Heights Elementary School.
Paulsen, so far the only Republican in the race, has served seven terms in the Minnesota House, where he led the GOP majority from 2002 to until the Democrats took over after the 2006 elections. He is a project manager for a Fortune 100 Company, and he and his wife, Kelly, have four daughters.
Three Democrats are also in the race: state Sen. Terri Bonoff of Minnetonka, Edina Mayor Jim Hovland and attorney J. Ashwin Madia, an Iraq war veteran. Businessman David Dillon of Brooklyn Park is running as an Independence Party candidate.
In a news release, DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez said Paulsen "has stood in the way of getting things done for Minnesotans and is dramatically out of step with the voters" in the 3rd District.
Paulsen appears to have a fundraising advantage over his opponents. Earlier this month, he reported raising $390,000 in the last three months of last year, more than Bonoff and Madia combined. Hovland didn't release his numbers. Dillon announced his candidacy about two weeks ago.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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