From TPM:

Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad will announce his retirement at a 4pm ET press conference, according to a GOP source cited by Minnesota Public Radio. Ramstad represents Minnesota's competitive 3rd District, where George Bush only edged John Kerry by three points in 2004.

While Ramstad, a pro-choice pro-stem cell research Republican, won with 65% of the vote last year, the district went for Bush by only 3 points in 2004 and according to Swing State Project has a PVI of only R+.5. MN Publius has a rundown of possible challengers for the seat as well as some interesting analysis:

First of all, this is anyone's seat if Ramstad is retiring. Congressman Ramstad has done an amazing job in this district of securing a strong constituent base across parties through a combination of solid name recognition and bipartisan work in Congress. Absent his considerable clout, it is going to be impossible for a Republican new-comer to even come close to Ramstad's margins in the 3rd. The Dem index is high and increasingly the suburban districts in the 3rd are represented at the state level by Democrats.

Second, this has ramifications in the Senate race. Jim Ramstad helps Republicans state-wide by turning out independents in the 3rd and convincing them to vote Republican. Without his presence Coleman will pick up less votes in the 3rd than he would with Ramstad there; that's almost a given.

Expect this race to enter the toss-up column on any House round-ups going forward. As MN Publius notes, the only reason this seat is still in Republican hands is because of the goodwill Ramstad has in the district.

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at 1:20PM CST.  You can listen here:  Thom Hartmann

The show will be broadcast locally in the Twin Cities area at 6PM on 950AM.

Here's a quick update since we haven't posted in a while:

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We're posting the full press release here in the interests of time.  We're mainly a volunteer operation.  This issue hits very close to home for us at Wilde for Congress.  Wendy's founded a non-profit teen center and been a long-time volunteer on children and youth activities.  I'm a clergy-abuse survivor and serve as a youth advisor and religious education teacher at my church.  Oh, and BTW, Wendy hit her $50K goal last night!

Wendy Wilde, DFL candidate for Congress in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, called on Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to resign for his role in covering up the activities of the sexual predator Congressman Mark Foley of Florida.

"It is inconceivable to me that Speaker Hastert and other key member of the Republican leadership knew about Congressman Foley's inappropriate contact with teenage pages and yet continued to allow Congressman Foley to serve as Co-Chair of the House Committee on Missing and Exploited Children As a  High School teacher and coach, Speaker Hastert is a mandated reporter.  It is absolutely inconceivable to me as a mother, and as the founder of a non-profit teen center, that Speaker Hastert would put kids at risk in the interest of political power".  This is another example of the kinds of incompetence and secrecy which have no place in our democracy." 

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A new race is brewing in purple Minnesota. As my home district, I have been paying very close attention for a credible Democratic challanger to Congressman Jim Ramstad. While ramstad has been visibly "moderate," having a true-blue Democrat representing the district would be a change.

From Wendy Wilde For US Congress:

Brooklyn Center, MN -- Wendy Wilde, a well-known former Twin Cities political radio talk show host, formally announced her U.S. Congressional campaign at the Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Center on Saturday morning, April 29, at 10:00 am.

Wilde is a 29-year veteran radio broadcaster who began transforming her entertainment show into an issues and political commentary format in 1998.  For the past eight years, Wilde has been the first and the most widely heard Twin Cities radio voice to question and challenge the actions of the Republican controlled Congress and the President.

Wilde is a 29-year veteran radio broadcaster who began transforming her entertainment show into an issues and political commentary format in 1998 on WCCO Radio, and later on the Twin Cities Air America Radio affiliate.  For the past eight years, Wilde has been the most widely heard Twin Cities progressive radio voice to question and challenge the actions of the Republican controlled Congress and the President.

"Jim Ramstad's votes in congress have been one more rubber-stamp for the George W. Bush agenda.  Jim likes to pass himself off as a moderate, but if you look at his actual record in Congress, the majority of Jim Ramstad's votes over the past few years simply rubber-stamp Tom Delay and George Bush policies.  That's why you're paying so much for gas at the pump, that's why they haven't done anything to fix the health care crisis, and that's why consumers have less money to spend and businesses are feeling the squeeze.

Looks like the 50-state strategy is spreading. As this is my first entry, I would like anyone reading to know I will try to post as much news as possible, but I may fall into policy commentary as well, but I will try not too.

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