Ramstad won’t run for 10th term in House

09/17/2007

U.S. Jim Ramstad is expected to announce his retirement from Congress. He has served nine terms, beginning in 1990. Veteran congressman will leave seat representing western suburbs he has held for 9 terms.


By Kevin Diaz and Pat Doyle,
Star Tribune
September 17, 2007


U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad announced today that he is retiring from Congress next year and will not seek a 10th term. Ramstad has represented the Third District, made up of the southern, western and northern suburbs of Minneapolis, since he was first elected in 1990.

After 17-years of commuting to Washington as a congressman, Ramstad said he's "burned out" in an interview before his official announcement.

"My passion for serving people remains as strong as ever," said the Minnesota Republican, one of the last of what he called a "dying breed" of House moderates.

"But after 17 years of commuting every week to Washington, it's time to be home with the people I love and miss."

Before he leaves politics, Ramstad added, he expects to pass legacy legislation making it easier for people with mental health and addiction problems to get access to health insurance.

For Ramstad, a recovering addict, it would be the fulfillment of a bipartisan project he began more than a decade ago with the late Democratic senator Paul Wellstone, whom he called "our friend Paul."That's the legacy I want to leave," he said. "For millions of Americans suffering from mental illness and addiction, I want it to be a legacy of access to treatment and recovery."

Ramstad is now partnering on mental health "parity" legislation with Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., who Ramstad has been mentoring since Kennedy's high profile car crash, which was related to prescription drug use.

Ramstad's work with Kennedy, the son of Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, is in keeping with a voting record that often took him across party lines.

Ramstad broke with his party five times this year in key votes, most notably against the troop surge in February. He voted with Democrats to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over the next two years, allow the government to negotiate directly with drugmakers for lower prescription costs and to implement recommendations by the 9/11 Commission.

He also voted for a bill that would repeal tax cuts to oil companies and fund renewable energy programs.

He voted with Republicans against a troop drawdown in July and for funding for the war without withdrawal deadlines in May.

"On most substantive issues in this Congress, Jim Ramstad has voted with the Democrats," said DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez, who said he expects Democrats to be strongly competitive in wrestling the seat from Republicans after Ramstad retires.

Republicans dispute that notion, noting that the district tipped in favor of Republicans George Bush and Tim Pawlenty. "We feel very confident about our chances of retaining this seat," said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Ramstad, 62, said he has no plans to return to politics. Instead, he wants to teach and work with people suffering from chemical addiction.

"I never intended to be a lifer when I went to Washington," Ramstad said. "I intended to stay no more than 12 years. Well, 12 slipped into 17 going on 18."

Ramstad said he first began thinking about retirement after his last election, shortly after he married his wife Kathryn Mitchell. They cemented the decision during a vacation to Nantucket Island last month.

"I'm a Minnesota guy," he said.