After Rep. Jim Ramstad (R) announced his retirement in September, state Sen. Terri Bonoff (D) jumped into the race quickly, and succeeded in clearing many of her potential primary competitors from the field after raising nearly $90K in a week. But, it looks like she’ll be getting some company very soon in Republican-turned-Democrat Jim Hovland, the mayor of Edina:
Edina Mayor Jim Hovland said at a local DFL meeting Monday that he would file papers “in the next couple of days” for a run at the congressional seat being vacated by Republican Jim Ramstad next year.In recent interviews, Hovland has made it clear that he was leaning strongly toward a run, but has previously left himself an out. However, according to more than one attendee of Monday’s Senate District 41 meeting, he is now making it about as official as can be. […]
At least one activist at the SD41 meeting Monday said he would be supporting Hovland, saying he is “convinced he [Hovland]’s pretty darn progressive for a reformed Republican.”
A third candidate, Iraq War vet Ashwin Madia, is also in the race (and his online fundraising suggests that he’s taking it seriously).
MNPublius has video of all three candidates. I’ll be interested to see how this one shakes out.
….how popular Hovland is in the area, but I have a hard time believing he’s gonna break Bonoff’s momentum. She’s getting the same kind of air of inevitably that Amy Klobuchar was last year at this time. Furthermore, am I pretty sure that Edina is in MN-05. Is Hovland running in a district he doesn’t live in?