After announcing his candidacy for Congress in the 6th District a week ago, Elwyn Tinklenberg said on Tuesday that he will no longer be running.

Tinklenberg’s campaign would have been his third run against Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann. In 2008, he lost to Bachmann by 3 percent.

On his Web site Tinklenberg said, "This has never been about me, it’s about restoring responsible productive representation to the Sixth District. It is my hope that by removing myself from the race, I am advancing our chances of achieving that goal."

Tinklenberg’s withdrawl from the race leaves the DFL spot open for state Sen. Tarryl Clark or Dr. Maureen Reed.

Clark has four years of elected office experience while Reed is a new face. Reed is a former Board of Regents chair at the University of Minnesota.