Minnetonka physician announces run for Congress

A second Democrat has announced that she will run for Congress in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. Maureen Hackett, a physician and forensic psychiatrist from Minnetonka, said she hopes to unseat first-term Republican Erik Paulsen.

She said Paulsen is too conservative for a district where President Obama received more than fifty percent of the vote in 2008.

"Our district has been more moderate than Erik Paulsen has been voting. If Erik Paulsen, for example, was a different politician, I probably wouldn't take this on. But he hasn't been, in my opinion, and in the opinion of others, been representing the majority of people in our district in some of his votes," Hackett said.

Paulsen said he voted against the Health Bill because he is concerned about the bill's cost and does not think it will reduce health care costs for most Americans.

Hackett said she will abide by the DFL Party endorsement. Also seeking DFL party endorsement is Jim Meffert, president of the Minnesota PTA.