David Dillon

The three candidates vying for Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District seat raised nearly $2 million in the third quarter, according to reports they filed today with the Federal Election Commission, with a combined take of $1,946,000. And spending for TV in the 3rd is outpacing the presidential contenders in the Twin Cities market and running at nearly a third of the total TV outlay in Minnesota’s uber-spendy U.S. Senate race. More inside, including Dillon’s radio debut and a Madia TV spot gets caught in U.S. Rep. John Kline’s cross-district crossfire.

In what pollsters are calling a “do-si-do,” results of the latest survey in the high-profile race for Minnesota’s 3rd district congressional seat show DFLer Ashwin Madia holding a slight 46-43 percent lead over Republican state Rep. Erik Paulsen — a three-point spread that’s within the poll’s 4-percent margin of error. SurveyUSA conducted the poll of 634 likely voters for KSTP on Oct. 6–7.

UPDATED Well, they do call it the Independence Party. It turns out the party’s candidate in the 3rd Congressional District race, David Dillon, has donated a considerable sum of his own money to his campaign through Sept. 2: $122,000. That’s 81 percent of his campaign’s $150,513 war chest, which according to a fresh report from the Center for Responsive Politics’ opensecrets.org, makes Dillon the eighth biggest self-funding candidate for the U.S. House or Senate this year, by percentage of total money raised.

DFLer Ashwin Madia holds a five-point lead over Republican state Rep. Erik Paulsen in Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District race, according to results of a new poll released Monday by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). It’s a sizable swing from Paulsen’s three-point lead in an independent poll six weeks ago. But as in that survey, the difference in Monday’s results between the leading candidates — Madia with 44 percent to Paulsen’s 39 — is within the poll’s percent margin of error. More after the jump, including a Republican ad retreat; courting business; and dueling national endorsements.

On WCCO-TV Sunday, State Rep. Erik Paulsen spoke for the first time on Republican claims that DFLer Ashwin Madia is less qualified for the state’s 3rd district U.S. House seat because he’s not a father, rents, and doesn’t fit the district’s “demographic.” Asked if he would condemn the line of attack, Paulsen dodged the question — without acknowledging his campaign’s role in rolling out the personal slams. More after the jump, including videos of WCCO’s interviews with all three candidates.

Seventy million tune in a political debate — albeit one with “Hee Haw” appeal — but the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce has to cancel a debate in the hot 3rd district congressional race due to poor ticket sales? Plus: CQPolitics says the race to the center is a tossup while a blogger tips towards Paulsen, Madia says he’d vote for the new bailout, and three business groups that apparently don’t buy debate tickets endorse Paulsen.

Minnesota’s 3rd District congressional race continues to play out — between debates — in pixels. Here’s Ashwin Madia’s new ad, “Hard Choices,” just out this afternoon, with a quick jab at the current financial crisis. Also, a Monday debate clip from the DFL Party, plus ads trashing state Rep. Erik Paulsen from a 527 and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Paulsen’s own campaign ad; and the video output of Independence Party candidate David Dillon.

The three contenders in Minnesota’s most fiercely contested U. S. House race squared off this evening for the second time. Democrat Ashwin Madia (pictured), Republican Erik Paulsen and Independence Party candidate David Dillon debated issues for nearly an hour at the Twin Cities Public Television studios in downtown St. Paul. They are seeking to replace retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad. A poll released earlier this month showed Paulsen with a statistically insignificant 44-41 lead over Madia.