T  Tammy Lee is not your typical political hopeful. While maintaining a fast paced career in the travel and media industries, she has balanced a life as a single mother to three year old daughter Lissa.  Lee has had a varied career life, most recently working as Vice President of corporate affairs for the Mark Travel Corporation.  She strongly opposes tax breaks for the wealthiest in the country, while supporting  measures that aid both workers and businesses.  Her views are the product of her corporate experience which gave her an understanding of workers' and consumers' needs.  Lee has received support from both Democrats and Republicans in Minnesota, and she is giving the DFL ( Democratic Farm Labor Party's -Minnesota's version of the Democratic party) candidate a run for his money. 

If elected, Lee would become the first female Independent Congresswoman in the US. She is one of the few viable third-party candidates nationally in this 2006 election, according to www.thirdpartywatch.com.  

The Fifth District is an overwhelmingly Democratic district, polling at 21 percentage points higher than the average nationally.  Lee's main opponent, DFL party candidate Keith Ellison, would be the first Muslim American to be elected to the House of Representatives. Although there has been spurious speculation as to his ties with the Nation of Islam, and other groups that have terrorist sympathies, Ellison is believed to be the frontrunner in the election.  Also running is a Republican candidate, Alan Fine, who is not a factor in the race.