Elections: 2006 Candidate Profiles

Minnesota - House (3)

District Geography | Summary | History | Outlook | Polls

Jim Ramstad (Republican, 8-term incumbent)

Website: www.ramstad.org

Wendy Wilde (DFL)

Website: www.wildeforcongress.com

District Geography:

Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District comprises the western suburbs of Hennepin County and a small part of southern Anoka County.

Summary:

Jim Ramstad, a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Trade and Health Subcommittees, is campaigning for re-election on the issue of fiscal responsibility.

Wendy (Pareene) Wilde is a radio talk show host who is campaigning on an "Elect Mom" slogan. She vows to protect the environment, redeploy U.S. troops to Kurdistan, and encourage wind energy in the state.

History:

Jim Ramstad entered Congress by winning the open seat left by Independent-Republican Bill Frenzel in 1990, beating DFL nominee Lou Demars by more than a 2:1 margin (34 points). Ever since, Ramstad has continued to thoroughly dominate his DFL opponents, winning the next six elections by an average of 39.6 points. Ramstad's 29.3-point victory over Deborah Watts in 2004 was his 'narrowest' victory margin to date.

Outlook:

According to the Federal Elections Commission October 2006 report, Ramstad has more than 60 times as much cash on hand ($1,000,000+) compared to Wilde ($17,000). The 3rd District leans republican, but only moderately so (voting for George W. Bush in 2004 with only 51 percent of the vote). Of the four GOP-held seats in Minnesota, the Republican Party is least worried about the safety of this seat.

Polls:

None.