Paulsen Wins Re-Election In 3rd District

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen has won re-election in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Democratic rival Terri Bonoff in one of the most closely-watched congressional races in the country.

Bonoff, a state senator, saw an opportunity to win the seat in Minneapolis' western suburbs, which President Barack Obama carried in 2012. Her campaign, as well as millions of dollars in outside advertisements, tried to tie Paulsen to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, whom Paulsen never endorsed.

Paulsen, 51, of Eden Prairie, was first elected to the 3rd District in 2008. He'll now enter his fifth term in Congress, representing a district that's grown increasingly moderate.

During the campaign, he attacked Bonoff as being an out-of-touch liberal, prone to spending sprees.

The 3rd District encompasses Minneapolis' western suburbs, from Maple Grove and Brooklyn Park in the north to Wayzata and St. Louis Park in the west, and with Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Chaska in the southwest.