Tag: 3rd Congressional District

Lawyer in Allina sexual harassment case blasts Erik Paulsen ad

The new TV ad from GOP’s Paulsen hits DFL challenger Dean Phillips over harassment lawsuit, but lawyer for claimants says Phillips had ‘no involvement.’

GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen listens to DFL candidate Dean Phillips at their debate at Minnesota Public Radio. Credit: Tony Saunders, MPR via AP

A lawyer for the women who sued Allina Health for sexual harassment blasted U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen on Friday for making it a campaign issue against his Democratic opponent, Dean Phillips.

Phillips served on the Allina board of directors from 2005-11. A new Paulsen TV ad calls Phillips “shady” and charges that he “did nothing” to combat the harassment.

Lori Peterson, a lawyer who specializes in civil rights and represented seven women who filed the lawsuit against Allina in 2007, released a statement Friday saying Phillips had nothing to do with the litigation.

View the complete October 12 article by J. Patrick Coolican on the StarTribune website here.

In 3rd District race, candidates employ flash mobs, dueling ads — and Bigfoot

Erik Paulsen talks as Dean Phillips listens at the debate at the UBS Forum at Minnesota Public Radio. Credit: Tony Saunders, MPR News

On a gloomy fall Wednesday in suburban Minnesota, Bowzer was hitting all the right notes.

Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, the former member of 50s-style rock group Sha Na Na, was playing the 1953 song, “Goodnite, sweetheart, goodnite” on his keyboard. But instead of sweetheart, Bowzer subbed in the name of the local congressman, Republican Erik Paulsen.

“Don’t hate to leave you, but we really must say, goodnight Erik Paulsen, goodnight,” Bowzer sang, leading a small crowd gathered in Excelsior, Minn. This was moments after Bowzer endorsed Democrat Dean Phillips’ campaign for Congress with his jaw agape and an enthusiastic single-arm flex, his signature move.

View the complete article by Briana Bierschbach on the MPR News website here.

Time for a shake-up in 3rd Congressional District

Voters will have to weigh heavily Paulsen’s experience and seniority against Phillips’ fresh perspective in a race that is in the national spotlight.

Erik Paulsen is capable, affable and intelligent. If re-elected he will likely continue to represent the district exactly as he has over the last decade – as a moderate to conservative Republican. He has risen through the ranks to a position on the Ways and Means Committee, chairperson of the Joint Economic Committee and co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus.

By now voters in the 3rd District are very familiar with Paulsen, who spent 14 years in the Minnesota Legislature before he was first elected to Congress in 2009. But we believe there is appetite, and need, for change in the district held by Republicans since the 1960s.

View the complete editorial by the ECM Editorial Board on the Sun-Sailor-Post website here.

Erik Paulsen Ad Claims Dean Phillips Ignored Allina Sexual Harassment Claims

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesota Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen is standing by a campaign ad attacking one of Minnesota’s largest health systems.

Paulsen claims Allina Health Care ignored sexual harassment allegations when his 3rd District Democratic opponent Dean Phillips served on the board of directors. It is a claim Phillips calls “a lie.”

The ad accuses Allina of ignoring harassment claims in 2007, and says then-board chairman Phillips “did nothing.”

View the complete post on the WCCO TV website here.

Two-Thirds Of Americans Haven’t Seen Any Benefit From The Trump Tax Law

A new poll shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans say they have not seen their take-home pay increase as a result of the Trump tax law. The truth about the Trump tax law is that it’s not benefiting working families — it has only increased the gap between the richest Americans and everyone else.

Americans have not benefited from the Trump tax law. It’s clear why more Americans still disapprove than approve of the law.

  • 64% of Americans say they have not seen an increase in their take-home pay from the Trump tax law.

  • A majority of Americans say the Trump tax law has not helped their family financially.

Continue reading “Two-Thirds Of Americans Haven’t Seen Any Benefit From The Trump Tax Law”

Erik Paulsen’s Negative Campaign Gets Even Worse

Paulsen releases fourth straight dishonest attack ad


Paulsen is among the most partisan members of Congress, voting with Trump 98 percent of the time and routinely carrying the water of his biggest donors. Credit: Fibonacci Blue

Excelsior, MN – Erik Paulsen has released his latest dishonest and negative TV ad as part of his ongoing smear campaign against Dean Phillips.

Despite the insinuations of Paulsen’s ad, Phillips was not the chairman of the board of Allina Health at the time the allegations in question were brought forward. And claims that Phillips, as a volunteer board chairman, was responsible for the day-to-day operations of Allina Health have already been called false by independent fact checkers.

“Erik Paulsen used to be known as the ‘nice guy’ but now he’s running one of the most outlandishly negative and dishonest smear campaigns of any incumbent politician in recent history,” said Zach Rodvold, campaign manager for Phillips for Congress. “Congressman Paulsen is so desperate to hold onto power that he’s even stooped to attacking community leaders at one of the Twin Cities’ most important health systems. This is what happens when you vote with Donald Trump 98% of the time and have no accomplishments to run on or anything positive to say. Voters deserve better.” Continue reading “Erik Paulsen’s Negative Campaign Gets Even Worse”

Erik Paulsen Continues Lying to Try to Stop You from Seeing His Real Record

For a Congressman elected 10 years ago to focus on attacking his opponent with continuing use of debunked claims is sad to see, but not surprising from what he and his party has become.

The latest attack ad from his campaign (he’s shown at the intro and does the required disclaimer, so he and his campaign own this one), get down in the muck of false claims regarding sexual harassment.

Here are the facts:

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Suburban voters will decide control of Congress

House Republicans struggling to preserve their majority are facing a wave of Democratic money and enthusiasm in suburban districts across the country, as well-educated and moderate voters consider new checks on President Trump.
An analysis of the types of districts in play shows that two-thirds of the Republican-held seats that a top election handicapper sees as vulnerable are in suburban areas.
That has Republicans on defense in an area where Trump has bled support, even in the 2016 election he won.

A GOP Tax-Law Writer Faces Skeptics in His Minnesota District

Eden Prairie, MN—Rep. Erik Paulsen followed the classic congressional playbook: Score a plum committee spot, rack up bipartisan accomplishments, raise millions in campaign cash and help write a major tax law delivering tangible gains back home.

That may not be enough.

Seeking a sixth term in the Twin Cities’ western suburbs, Mr. Paulsen faces a pair of problems. The tax law isn’t popular among Americans—and neither is the president who signed it.

View the complete October 8 article by Richard Rubin on the Wall Street Journal website here.