It's kinda ridiculous for a congressional race to be heating up this much a year and a quarter before the election, but Elwyn Tinklenberg is apparently trying to make sure no one believes any rumors that he is waffling about whether to run for the Sixth District seat in the U.S. House now held by Republican Michele Bachmann.

He also wants to discourage the talk that since he lost to Bachmann in 2008, he is not the candidate who can defeat her. And lastly, he seems to be trying to respond to grumbling that one hears in DFL circles that Tinklenberg has proven to be a diffident, sluggish candidate who won't knock on the doors or make the phone calls necessary to win a tough race.

So, in an email that is being sent to Tinklenberg's supporters and will be posted shortly on his website, Tinklenberg (who has not held an official announcement event) states:

"I'm determined to build a great campaign operation, to work tirelessly, and to take the fight to Michele Bachmann and never let up. I am running for Congress against Michele Bachmann, and I'm running to win."

Here's the full text of the email:

"Last November I came within three points of being elected to Congress. It was a tough campaign, and early on it was hard to convince many people that I had a chance to win. I was running against an incumbent member of Congress in a district with a history of supporting Republicans. But by coming within three points, we showed we could make this a competitive race, and that I can win.

The national parties have noticed how close I came last year. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has listed this race as one of their top eight pick-up opportunities. And just last week the National Republican Congressional Committee acknowledged that Michele Bachmann is one of their most vulnerable incumbents.

I've thought a lot about the last campaign, and have sought guidance and insight from many wise and experienced people. I have learned a lot, I have become a better candidate, and I am using what I've learned to assemble a team and to run a campaign that can win next November. I will tell you more about my campaign over the next few days, but I have hired a campaign manager who's run two straight winning campaigns against incumbent Republican members of Congress, and a team of consultants who over the last two elections have helped defeat dozens of incumbent Republican members of Congress.

The Sixth District of Minnesota needs better representation in Congress. In my professional life, as a minister, as a mayor, as a leader in transportation, I've worked to bring people together and build on our common interests and foster trust and cooperation. Michele Bachmann acts in opposition to those principles, and instead seeks to divide people, to spread cynicism, and instill distrust and exploit differences and fear. I have a record of accomplishments, while she has a history of embarrassments. We need someone in Congress who will serve the people of Central Minnesota, and not a small radical fringe motivated by distrust and fear.

In the last two elections eight Democrats who had previously lost to a Republican incumbent were elected to Congress. I intend to speak with each of these eight members of Congress, to learn from them, and apply the lessons they learned with what I've learned from my last campaign. I'm determined to build a great campaign operation, to work tirelessly, and to take the fight to Michele Bachmann and never let up. I am running for Congress against Michele Bachmann, and I'm running to win."