Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Capitol View®
Tom Scheck

Ramstad weighing run for governor

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Former Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad said he's had "brainstorming" meetings about a possible run for governor in 2010. Ramstad said he hasn't made a timeline for the decision but said one factor he's weighing is whether he wants to give up a relatively normal life to get back into politics.

"I've been very humbled by all of the encouragement from people in both parties and of all walks of life but I'm not making any decisions at this time. I think it's way too early. People need a rest. They need a breather from politics."

Ramstad's support for legal abortion could make it hard for him to win the GOP endorsement, but his high name recognition from his 18 years in Congress could help him in a Republican primary. There are a handful of Republicans and Democrats who are either running or are considering a run for governor. Governor Pawlenty announced earlier this month that he will not run for a third term.

You can listen to his full interview with reporters here: