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8th District: Rod Grams


SNAPSHOT
Grams floated a trial balloon about a run for Senate that went nowhere and he decided not to pursue the seat he once held, thus avoiding an intra-party squabble with Rep. Mark Kennedy. In May 2006, however, he announced he would seek the 8th Congressional District seat held by Rep. James Oberstar. . After first being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Rod Grams gained the distinction of being the first freshman in the 103rd Congress to get legislation enacted into law: a bill to provide regulatory relief for loans for those devastated by the 1993 Midwest flood. He also pushed a $500 per child tax credit. But much of his focus during his Senate term was revamping Social Security, an issue that really didn't come into its own in Congress until President Bush proposed in 2005 what Grams was proposing in the late '90s. Grams says he was motivated to run for Senate because of the issues that have surfaced in Congress now are the issues he was trying to spearhead then.

Candidate Bio

Rod Grams
Political affiliation:
Republican Party
Born:
February 4, 1948
Princeton, MN
Personal:
Married, four children from previous marriage. Resides in Crown. Lutheran.
Occupation:
Owns three radio stations in Little Falls. Homebuilder. Was anchorman for KMSP-TV in the Twin Cities.
Education:
Carroll College, Helena, MT
Major political experience:
Grams ran and won a U.S. House seat in the 6th Congressional District. He defeated 10-year incumbent Democratic Rep. Gerry Sikorski in 1992. He was elected to the U.S. Senate, replacing the retiring Dave Durenberger in 1996.

Campaign Finances

Total contributions
$335,143
Total disbursements
$241,489
Cash on hand
$93,654
Source: Federal Election Commission. October 2006

Links and Resources

Open Secrets
Document Rod Grams

Candidate Pages

Mrs. Bush was in Minnetonka Wednesday morning for a $500-a-plate breakfast for Bachmann and the Republican Party. (10/25/2006)
The race for Congress in Minnesota's 1st District has become competitive with a political newcomer running as a DFLer posing a serious challenger to six-term Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht. (10/25/2006)
U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo's retirement this year created something of a rarity: an open seat in Congress. With less than three weeks unil the election, Midday listeners get a chance to meet the candidates hoping to take Sabo's place. (Midday, 10/20/2006)
The candidates in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District face off as part of Midday's Meet the Candidates series. (Midday, 10/20/2006)
GOP Rep. Gil Gutknecht offered an optimistic message about America's direction. Democratic challenger Tim Walz spoke of an America that's desperate for change. (10/19/2006)
Democratic congressional candidate Keith Ellison is accusing a St. Louis Park woman of working with a Minneapolis writer to blackmail his campaign. (10/19/2006)
Rep. Jim Oberstar, D Minn., who has represented Minnesota's 8th District for almost 32 years, is facing a well-known challeger this year: former Sen. Rod Grams, R-Minn. Midday presents their Oct. 17 debate in Grand Rapids. (Midday, 10/18/2006)
The three major party candidates for the 5th Congressional District seat met for a debate Tuesday evening at a St. Louis Park synagogue. DFLer Keith Ellison, Republican Alan Fine and Independence Party candidate Tammy Lee were asked their views on health care, the war in Iraq and the United States' relationship with Israel. (10/18/2006)
A watchdog group filed a complaint with the IRS Tuesday against a Minnesota church, claiming the pastor violated the church's tax-exempt status by endorsing GOP congressional candidate Michele Bachmann Saturday night. (10/17/2006)
A new poll shows Patty Wetterling is the frontrunner in the 6th District race. But Republicans say the poll isn't credible. (10/17/2006)
The nasty tone of a debate in Blaine carried over from the negative TV ads both Patty Wetterling and Michele Bachmann have been running. (10/16/2006)
In Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, Muslims are speaking with a newly found political voice. (10/13/2006)
Alan Fine, the Republican candidate for Congress in the 5th District, was charged with domestic violence in 1995 for allegedly assaulting his wife, and he later had his record expunged. Fine reacted angrily to a Star Tribune report about the incident, saying he is innocent. (10/07/2006)
6th District DFL Congressional candidate Patty Wetterling talked to a national radio audience Saturday about child safety and the Mark Foley scandal. (10/07/2006)
Results of the Reuters/Zogby poll found Republican Michele Bachmann and Democrat Patty Wetterling running neck and neck with just a month left before the election. Meanwhile, the Mark Foley scandal is growing as a campaign issue. (10/04/2006)
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