Collin Peterson announces reelection run, setting up bitter fight
Peterson is one of few remaining rural Democrats in Washington.
House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson announced Friday that he will run for reelection in his rural Minnesota district, according to a source familiar with his plans, setting up a bitter battle as the the Democrat fights to keep his seat.
Peterson’s decision to run for reelection means that Democrats will try to hang onto a seat in a district that has grown more conservative. President Donald Trump, who won that district by 31 points in 2016, intends to campaign aggressively in the Midwest. POLITICO reported Peterson’s plans earlier in the day before he declared the reelection bid.
“This wasn’t an easy decision for me because our country is so polarized right now, but that’s also why I want to ask the voters of western Minnesota to support me again,” Peterson said in a statement. “There aren’t many like me left in Congress. Rural Democrats are few and far between and I’m concerned that rural America is getting left behind.”
His top challenger is former Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach, a GOP recruit. Fischbach has tried to tie Peterson to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of his longtime friends, and argues that the district needs a representative who will back Trump’s policies.
Fischbach raised more than $364,000 in the last quarter of 2019, setting a record for a Republican in the district in a non-election year.
Peterson is one of few remaining rural Democrats in Washington, and has built a reputation as a brash straight shooter not afraid to buck his own party. He was one of two Democrats to vote against impeaching Trump. Speculation has been mounting about his reelection plans.
Peterson raised $106,000 from PACs and $51,725 from individuals in the fourth quarter of 2019.
His campaign spending so far has been minimal. But he did pay $20,500 for a firm to conduct polling in December.