Ramstad won reelection in the suburban congressional district eight times, all by landslide margins.

Throughout his legislative career and later life, Ramstad, empowered by his prior struggles with alcoholism, was a notable advocate for addiction recovery.

[5] He also worked as a private practice attorney and as a legislative aide to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

[7] Ramstad considered ending discrimination against those suffering from mental health and addiction problems a major part of his legacy.

[8][9] Ramstad was mentioned as a possible candidate for Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the administration of President Barack Obama.

[14] He voted in favor of an amendment to a whistleblower protection bill that would have allowed the government to influence stem-cell research.

[18] He was a long-time advocate for addiction treatment and recovery services, and at the time of his death he had been sober for 39 years.

On February 25, 2008, it was announced that Ramstad had been elected to the board of directors of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.