Minnesota's third district is the most affluent in the State according to Congressional Quarterly. It takes in the suburbs of Minneapolis. Voters are known for their independence - fiscally conservative but moderate on social issues. Jesse Ventura was mayor of Brooklyn Park before becoming Governor of Minnesota. The leading cities are Bloomington; Brooklyn Park and Plymouth. Electronics, manufacturing and transportation are the major industries. The Mall of America is in the district. Wayzata on Lake Minnetonka is the state's highest zipcode for political donations.Jim Ramstad, a 9-term Republican congressman announced, in September 2007 that he would not be standing for re-election. This November's race pits Republican Erik Paulsen (http://paulsenforcongress.com/), a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives since 1994, against Iraq vet Ashwin Madia for the Democratic Farmer Labor Party. (http://www.madiaforcongress.com/).
Minnesota's Star Tribune profiles the race at http://www.startribune.com/topics/politics/third_district.html
