Jim Ramstad, a moderate Republican, has coasted through his two most recent elections in 2000 and 1998 with around 70 percent of the vote. His House voting record has been generally conservative on fiscal matters but a little more liberal on social issues. Ramstad is pro-choice.

"I support a woman's right to choose," he said, adding that "after viability, it should be allowed only to save the life of mother or in case of severe fetal deformity."

Ramstad voted against a ban on assault-style weapons. He supports the death penalty for drug-related killings, murders of police officers, and for sexual assaults which result in death.

Ramstad launched his first bid for the U.S. House in 1990, saying "I want to work for job creation and economic growth as I've done in the Minnesota Senate for 10 years." He opposed raising federal taxes, saying "Taxes are an important facet of economic growth. In the face of a recession, raising taxes does not reduce budget deficits."

During the 105th Congress, Ramstad worked on a more personal issue _ alcoholism. Ramstad, an alcoholic himself, introduced a bill in 1998 that would guarantee equal insurance coverage for treatment of substance-abuse addiction and other medical services. The measure was modeled after a new law that is intended to achieve similar parity for mental health services. The bill would not require employers to pay for alcohol and drug abuse treatment if they don't already do so, but businesses generally oppose any mandates on insurance coverage.

Ramstad said addiction was a "life or death" issue for the estimated 26 million Americans who are abusing drugs or alcohol. "As a recovering alcoholic, I've seen firsthand the value of treatment for people like me who are chemically dependent," Ramstad said.

During election season 2000, Ramstad shared some of his fund-raising success with New York's U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio, one of Ramstad's best friends in Congress and challenger against Hillary Rodham Clinton in a Senate race. Ramstad hosted a fund-raiser for Lazio.

The American Conservative Union gave Ramstad's 2000 voting record a score of 68; the liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave him 30 points. Ramstad serves on the House Ways & Means Committee.