Paulsen draws Sharon Sund as first DFL challenger
WASHINGTON - Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen has his first declared challenger for the 2012 election. Plymouth resident Sharon Sund has announced that she plans to compete for the DFL nomination to challenge the incumbent 3rd District representative.
The self-described progressive will likely face a challenging campaign given Paulsen's strong fundraising to date. As of June 30, Paulsen had more than $670,000 cash on hand for his re-election campaign.
The 3rd District also has a history of electing Republicans to Congress, having sent a member of the GOP to Washington since 1961. The district did vote for President Obama in 2008, but the congressional redistricting process could move the 3rd further into the Twin Cities exurbs, adding more Republican voters.
The news was first reported by the Minnesota Independent.
Sund, who has a BA from Macalester College and an MS from the University of Minnesota, worked as a research and development scientist and as a technical communications consultant for a variety of companies.
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