Forensic psychiatrist Maureen Hackett is getting an early start on her Democratic campaign to unseat freshman Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.), launching her first ad, a 60-second radio spot, on Monday

Airing on Air America Minnesota AM 950, Hackett’s ad introduces her as a doctor, an Air Force veteran and a mother. In it she emphasizes her desire to defend the American Dream, singling out education, jobs and energy as the top issues of the day.

Hackett has virtually no public profile in the district, but she is capable of self-funding, Democratic sources say. And her willingness to go up on the air this early indicates she is prepared to spend freely in the race.

She faces Jim Meffert, the executive director of the Minnesota Optometrists Association and president of the state PTA, in the Democratic primary.