Ramstad for governor?

Posted at 11:31 AM on September 18, 2009 by Bob Collins (5 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

Former Third District congressman Jim Ramstad dropped a little bit of a bombshell -- for now, we'll call it a firecracker -- when he told Gary Eichten a few minutes ago that he's leaving the door on the possibility of his running for governor "open just a crack."

A few minutes later, however, he said there's a 99 percent chance he wouldn't run.

Ramstad, a moderate by any definition, has no shot at winning a Republican state convention, but in his scenario he made it clear he'd do what former Gov. Arne Carlson did and run in a primary.

The former congressman had announced earlier this summer that he would not run.

Ramstad made his comments during the early part of MPR's Midday show, when he strongly criticized "the hard core right wing Republicans who are in charge of the Republican House caucus."

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Comments (5)

Maybe he's what this state needs right now.. a true moderate, some one that will balance the nuts on the left and the nuts on the right..

Posted by Bobbydole | September 18, 2009 1:32 PM

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I'd vote for him.

Posted by Paul | September 18, 2009 1:50 PM

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I'm a pretty strong Democrat but I think I'd give a lot of consideration for Ramstad. I agree that he is exactly the kind of centrist that is so desperately needed in politics right now. And he might even "save" the GOP thus giving the DFL a real dialogue partner in governance.

Posted by Chris | September 18, 2009 2:27 PM

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I hope he runs. I'm not sure I'd vote for him, but I think we'd be less likely to see as much dishonest mudslinging as we saw during the Franken v. Coleman campaign. Ramstad seems to have more integrity than either of our last Senate candidates.

Posted by Al | September 18, 2009 2:30 PM

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Rep. Ramstad is a good man. I hope he gives it serious consideration.

Posted by Aubrey Immelman | September 18, 2009 4:27 PM

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