TV ads highlight 3rd district race

Two years ago, one of Minnesota's hottest races was for the open 3rd District congressional seat.

This year, the race between first-term Republican incumbent Erik Paulsen, his DFL challenger Jim Meffert and Independence candidate Jon Oleson was hardly getting noticed until Paulsen launched a TV ad assault against Meffert.

Meffert, a former Minnesota PTA president, described the campaign commercials as distorted and dishonest. Paulsen accused Meffert of starting the war of words with online videos and news releases.

Meanwhile, Oleson is trying to get his alternative centrist message out to voters with no money.

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All three candidates recently talked about the campaign. Here are the interviews:

Erik Paulsen

Jim Meffert

Jon Oleson