Nelson to Challenge Kind

This news only speeds up my belief that we need a BBA member in the state's 3rd Congressional District (La Crosse / Eau Claire) to cover this race next year.

A northwestern Wisconsin realtor says he will challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind in 2006 for his seat in the 3rd Congressional District.

Paul Nelson, a 39-year-old Republican from Woodville, told The Associated Press Wednesday he wants to protect people's property rights.

Nelson, who works as a real estate agent in Hudson, said he was motivated to run after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June allowed a city to seize private property for economic development under a policy known as eminent domain.

"Historically, governments that fail to recognize property rights soon fail in the recognition of human rights," Nelson said. "If Americans can't be secure in their property rights, our democracy starts to crumble."

He called activist judges "the single greatest threat" to American democracy.

Nelson said he has little political experience beyond serving on the board for the Christian school his children attended in Baldwin.

He served in the Marine Corps from 1984 to 1988 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, he said. He believes the United States needs to keep troops in Iraq until a functioning democracy emerges.

"As a former military man, I appreciate a military solution. I also appreciate the fact that military solutions don't always resolve themselves immediately. We still have bases in Germany. We still have bases in Japan."

He said Kind has done nothing of note in five terms in Congress.

Kind spokeswoman Stephanie Lundberg countered that this year alone Kind has authored a dozen bills, including legislation that would set up a check-off on federal tax forms for Hurricane Katrina relief and a health care plan for small businesses and farmers.

Kind currently serves on the Budget Committee, which crafts the federal budget; the Resources Committee, which addresses environmental and conservation issues; and the Education and the Workforce Committee, Lundberg said. He also is a chief deputy whip in the House.

"U.S. Rep. Kind is focused on serving his constituents of the Third Congressional District," Lundberg said.

The 3rd Congressional District encompasses much of western Wisconsin, including Richland, Buffalo, La Crosse, Eau Claire and St. Croix counties.

I'll agree that Kind hasn't done anything of any real substance in his decade in Congress, but I think Nelson's a long shot to win.

While focusing on Kelo is a wonderful idea to campaign on, I think what will make it difficult is the facts of Nelson being a political novice and the 3rd District's a lot more Democratic-leaning than it use to be thanks to redistricting and simple ignorance by the State GOP. (Nearly all of the State Senators in the 3rd are Republican, but they can't seem to find a good candidate. Explain?)

That being said; I doubt he could do much worse than Kind's last opponent - Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz - who ran one of the worst Congressional campaigns in state history.