Former U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad, who served western Hennepin County for nine terms in Congress and earned bipartisan respect for work on mental health and other issues, died on Thursday.
Ramstad was 74. He had been suffering from a degenerative disease, according to former Rep. Erik Paulsen, who succeeded Ramstad in Minnesota's Third Congressional District.
"A lot of folks who run for office today get involved in politics because they're more about an ideology rather than offering solutions to problems facing their community, the state and the country," Paulsen said Friday morning. "Jim was about identifying a problem and fixing it."
Paulsen, who got his start in politics with a staff job in Ramstad's DC office, said he last spoke to Ramstad two weeks ago. He was still living in Wayzata as he did for many years, Paulsen said, and was being cared for by wife, Kathryn Ramstad.
"We didn't know it would happen this fast," Paulsen said of the man he called his friend and political mentor. "His nickname was the Rammer. He was always very full of life, vibrant."
Ramstad was our Congressman when my wife and I lived in Brooklyn Park (2000-2001) and Coon Rapids (2001-2008).
In early 2007, Congressman Ramstad cast a vote with which I vehemently disagreed. As such, I called his Washington, D.C. and Minnetonka offices to leave voice mails conveying my dismay. Within a matter of days, Congressman Ramstad sent me a letter addressing my concerns. Mind you, it wasn't one of those pre-written form letters which many elected officials send along as an obligatory response. No, this particular correspondence *substantively* addressed the specific criticism I had with his vote. While I still disagreed with his rationale, the fact he took that kind of time to craft a reply meant a lot. Given he had consistently won reelection by 30+ points, Ramstad could've chosen to be the classic safe-seat member of Congress (**koff** Betty McCollum **koff**) by ignoring my bluster and thus being a proverbial ghost. The fact he often engaged his constituents on such a personal level was a testament to who he was as a person.
Condolences to Mr. Ramstad's loved ones in this tremendous loss.
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