Grams may challenge Oberstar
(AP) Former Sen. Rod Grams, who began his political career in the U.S. House, is weighing a challenge to 16-term Rep. Jim Oberstar in northeastern Minnesota's 8th District.
Grams, a Republican, said Wednesday he hopes to decide in the next week or so whether to get back into the ring.
"If I feel like I can win, I'm going to jump into the race," he said in a telephone interview.
Grams served a single term in the House and one in the Senate before losing a re-election bid in 2000 to Democrat Mark Dayton. He considered running for the seat Dayton is giving up, but he eventually gave way to GOP Rep. Mark Kennedy.
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It's basically reintroducing the Contract with America all over again but sticking to it.
Top Republicans, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty, have urged Grams to give the race serious thought. A competitive race in the 8th District could spill over to other statewide contests if more Republicans turn out to support Grams in a region Democrats usually dominate.
In his 1994 Senate campaign, Grams' positions on logging, land rights and gun control helped him beat his DFL competitor, Ann Wynia, in the district. Dayton carried the region in 2000, but Grams got nearly 42 percent of the vote.
But Oberstar has handily won every race he's run. His office referred calls to his campaign, which didn't immediately return a call for comment on Wednesday.
"This is nothing about Jim. I consider myself a friend of Jim's," Grams said. "I still have a passion to work for the people of Minnesota and to add a voice of reason that I think is missing."
When Grams was in Congress, he represented the 6th Congressional District. He has deep ties to the 8th; he lives on a 240-acre farm in Crown where he grew up.
Grams said he wants to bring fiscal discipline back to Congress.
"It's basically reintroducing the Contract with America all over again but sticking to it. There's been a lot of wandering off the path," he said. "We need someone who is going to pound their fist on the table."
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Associated Press Writer Frederic J. Frommer contributed to this report.
