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The 50-year-old state senator energetically launched her campaign Monday at the high school where her four children were educated, flashing a wide smile to about 100 supporters. She is running for the seat being vacated by longtime Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad in the western suburbs of Minneapolis.
Describing herself as a “true moderate,” Bonoff said her top goal is ending the Iraq war and developing an exit strategy “as quickly as humanly possible.” She rattled off priorities that included more money for schools, health insurance for every American, improved roads and bridges, and paying down the national debt.
“I’m confident that for the first time in 50 years, a Democrat is going to represent the 3rd District,” Bonoff said in cafeteria of Hopkins Senior High School near her home in Minnetonka.
Even before her announcement, the state Republican Party attacked Bonoff’s claim to being a moderate, pointing to her support of a gas tax increase and her state Senate campaign endorsement by Emily’s List, a national group that backs female candidates who support abortion rights.
“She’s not a moderate in the Jim Ramstad tradition, and I think that’s what people want,” state GOP spokesman Mark Drake said.
Bonoff said she voted against proposals to raise income taxes, which she said distracted from the importance of fresh money for transportation.
She becomes the second DFLer running to succeed Ramstad. Iraq War veteran Ashwin Madia announced his campaign last month; on Monday, he challenged Bonoff to a series of debates. She didn’t give an immediate answer, but said she would talk to “anybody who wants to talk to me.”
More competition may be coming.
Edina Mayor Jim Hovland — a former Republican who recently joined the Democrats — said he is “strongly leaning” toward a run. Hovland said he has been meeting with party activists and others and considering the demands of a campaign before making a final decision.
“All kinds of people were calling saying, ‘You’re just like Ramstad, except a little left of center instead of a little right of center,“’ said Hovland, who described Ramstad as a personal friend.
On the Republican side, former House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen is the only candidate who has taken formal steps toward a campaign.
Immediately after Ramstad announced his retirement plans in September, dozens of potential candidates were mentioned. But many notables have backed away from running, including Republican state lawmakers Geoff Michel and Kurt Zellers and former state Rep. Jeff Johnson, and Democrats such as party activist Buck Humphrey, former federal prosecutor Andy Luger and state Rep. Melissa Hortman.
The 3rd District covers the western suburbs of Minneapolis, including Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Bloomington.
