Democrat Takes Steps to Run in Minnesota's 3rd District

[ccharles000]

Forensic psychiatrist Maureen Hackett filed paperwork earlier this month for a congressional campaign in Minnesota's 3rd District, making her the first Democrat taking formal steps toward a challenge to freshman Republican Erik Paulsen.

Hackett says she remains in "serious exploration mode," but Federal Election Commission records released over the weekend show she formed a Hackett for Congress fundraising committee Oct. 15. The former U.S. Air Force psychiatrist is expected to make an announcement in the next two weeks.

Democrat Jim Meffert-Nelson, president of the Minnesota PTA, is also expected to announce his bid in the coming weeks. And state Sen. Terri Bonoff, who lost in a Democratic primary for the seat in 2008, has not ruled out another run.

Democrats view Paulsen as a promising target. He is one of just three freshmen Republicans in the House whose district voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. He won less than 50 percent of the vote in the suburban Minneapolis district, defeating Democrat Ashwin Madia 49 percent to 41 percent in a race that also included third-party candidate David Dillon.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/10/democrat-takes-steps-to-run-in.html

[Bitwit1234]

1. I think republicans try to throw in a third party

candidate just for that. To siphon off votes from the democrat.