politics

WASHINGTON - Less than a month after announcing his retirement, longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad is being asked by national party leaders to reenter the race.

Facing Democratic challengers for all three of the congressional seats they hold in Minnesota, Republican leaders have been quietly meeting with Ramstad, a source close to Ramstad has told the Star Tribune.

Ramstad, 61, still plans to retire in January 2009, at the end of his ninth term, according to a statement by his chief of staff, Dean Peterson. Ramstad declined to be interviewed.

In the statement, Peterson said that "the leadership and many other groups have encouraged him [Ramstad] to run."

According to the source, Ramstad has met in recent days with a number of prominent GOP leaders, including House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio.

The statement from Ramstad's office, coming in response to an inquiry Tuesday from the Star Tribune, said that "Jim has no plans to seek reelection."

Ramstad, a moderate Republican who regularly votes across party lines, has served in the House since 1991.

In a separate statement, Peterson said: "Jim has been overwhelmed by the huge number of Minnesotans urging him to reconsider, but he has no plans to run for reelection."

Some political analysts note that even taking Ramstad at his word, his terminology leaves the door open for reconsideration, presumably based on popular demand.

"'No plans' gives him some wiggle room," said Steven Schier, a political scientist at Carleton College in Northfield. "It still leaves open a possible run."

Peterson said Wednesday that neither he nor Ramstad would comment further.

Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), acknowledged Ramstad's account but said there was no "top-down" effort to keep Ramstad in the race.

"If grass-roots Republicans in Minnesota support the idea of Congressman Ramstad running for reelection, then Chairman Cole seconds that sentiment," Spain said, referring to Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole. "The NRCC trusts local Republicans to decide who they believe would make the best candidate for Congress, not the other way around."

Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., is a member of the NRCC's executive committee. A Kline spokesman declined to say whether he has been involved in efforts to get Ramstad to reconsider his retirement, which he announced last month.

A matter of dollars

Political observers note that while Ramstad's third congressional district in the Twin Cities' western suburbs has historically leaned Republican, a Ramstad decision to postpone his retirement could save the cash-strapped GOP campaign committee as much as $1 million to defend the seat, a factor that could be huge in a tough presidential election year.

"With Jim Ramstad out of the race, it will be a competitive district, and probably a seven-figure race on each side," said former Minnesota Congressman Vin Weber, a prominent GOP strategist and lobbyist in Washington. "With Jim in it, it's a put-down hand for the Republicans."

Democrats hold a 233-202 majority in the House. Stuart Rothenberg, an independent political handicapper, rated Ramstad's district this week as one of nine "pure toss-up" races in the nation. Five of them are being defended by Republicans.