Jim Ramstad

Jim Ramstad
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2009
Preceded byBill Frenzel
Succeeded byErik Paulsen
Member of the Minnesota Senate
In office
January 6, 1981 – January 3, 1991
Preceded byEmily Anne Staples
Succeeded byJudy Traub
Constituency43rd district (1981–1983)
45th district (1983–1991)
Personal details
Born
James Marvin Ramstad

(1946-05-06)May 6, 1946
Jamestown, North Dakota, U.S.
DiedNovember 5, 2020(2020-11-05) (aged 74)
Wayzata, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Kathryn Mitchell
(m. 2005)
Children1
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (BA)
George Washington University (JD)
Occupationattorney, political assistant
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army Reserve
Years of service1968–1975
RankFirst Lieutenant

James Marvin Ramstad (May 6, 1946 – November 5, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Minnesota's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Ramstad served in the Minnesota Senate from 1981 to 1991.

Ramstad was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 1981 and was reelected until 1990, when he was elected to represent Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ramstad won reelection in the suburban congressional district eight times, all by landslide margins.[1] He had a reputation as a moderate Republican.[2] Ramstad chose to retire and not seek reelection in 2008. He was succeeded by Republican State Representative Erik Paulsen. Throughout his legislative career and later life, Ramstad, empowered by his prior struggles with alcoholism, was a notable advocate for addiction recovery.[3]

In 2020, Ramstad died from Parkinson's disease at the age of 74.

  1. ^ "Former US Rep. Jim Ramstad, champion of recovery, dies at 74". AP NEWS. April 28, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "With Jim Ramstad's death, Minnesota has lost a committed recovery advocate". MinnPost. November 6, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  3. ^ "Former Rep. Jim Ramstad has died at 74". MPR News. November 6, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2022.