Jim Meffert of Edina will seek the DFL nomination to to run for Congress in the west suburban Third Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen is the first-term incumbent, presumed to be seeking a second term.

The press release this morning officially announcing his candidacy was no surprise. Meffert had previously filed papers, formed a campaign committee and made no secret of his plans to run. Dr. Maureen Hackett, 48, of Minnetonka, a psychiatrist and Air Force vet, is also seeking the DFL nomination. Ted Thompson, a former aide to former U.S. Rep. Bill Luther, is currently acting as senior advisor to the Meffert campaign and authored the announcement press release. He told me that Meffert will seek and abide by the DFL endorsement.

Meffert, 42, has been the chief lobbyist for the Minnesota Optometric Assocation and has been president of the Minnesota PTA. Meffert grew up in Marshall, Minn., graduated from St. Olaf College and lived in Chicago for a while before returning to Minnesota. He is married and has three school-age kids.

Meffert and Hackett are both first-time candidates. Other Third District residents with more political experience have considered the race -- state Sen. Terri Bonoff of Minnetonka is still considering it -- but so far none have decided to run, which is a little surprising since the first reelection of an incumbent congressman is usually considered an important shot by the opposing party, before the new member becomes well-entrenched.

The Third District has been represented by Republicans since 1960. That's a lot of terms. The DFL's big opportunity was 2008, when popular 10-term incumbent Jim Ramstad stepped down. Polls showed the race to succeed him was a toss-up but Paulsen won by a surprisingly large 48.5-41 percent margin over DFLer Ashwin Madia, a lawyer and Iraq vet. But Pres. Obama carried the district easily, a fact that certainly keeps hope alive for the Dems.

Political professionals who rate such things rate the district has having a very slight Republican tilt. Paulsen has kept his head down during his first term and I have heard that Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee polling in the district, which shows Paulsen will be tough to beat in 2010, is among the reasons that several potential candidates have decided not to run.