Republicans ask Ramstad to stay, but he says no

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.

Republicans in Minnesota also are trying to make inroads on reclaiming the first congressional district, which they lost in 2006 to DFL upstart Tim Walz.

The most recent Federal Election Commission reports show GOP House fundraising efforts lag far behind those of congressional Democrats. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has about $22 million in the bank, compared with $1.6 million for the NRCC, which also lists about $4 million in debt.

Seat up for grabs?

Ramstad took the political establishment by surprise last month when he announced his retirement, saying he was "burned out" from the weekly Washington commute. His departure triggered an initial scramble by potential successors, but most of them have since dropped out, leaving state Rep. Erik Paulsen of Eden Prairie as the leading contender.

In an indication of how competitive this race could be, the district swung to President Bush in the past two elections but voted for Bill Clinton in the previous two.

Rep. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, is the leading DFL candidate, although Edina Mayor John Hovland, a moderate Republican who recently switched parties, said he is considering a run as a DFLer.

Republicans note that the district has been in GOP hands since 1960 and that Ramstad regularly wins by wide margins.

"Given his extraordinary record of public service, it is no surprise that many Republicans are strong supporters of Congressman Ramstad and would like to see him stay active in Minnesota politics," said Minnesota GOP spokesman Mark Drake. "We are confident that we will have the winning candidate."

Former GOP state chairman Chris Georgacas, an adviser to Paulsen and a former Ramstad staffer, cast a skeptical eye on the idea that Ramstad would change his mind.

"There's nothing that Erik has heard that would deter him from organizing a campaign," Georgacas said.

But Paulsen or any other Republican is likely in for a tough fight, one that many observers say the Republicans can ill afford. "It's a pitched battle," Schier said. "And with Jim, there's no pitched battle. So I'm sure they [party leaders] are putting a lot of effort into changing his mind."

Kevin Diaz • 202-408-2753

Kevin Diaz • kdiaz@startribune.com