Look at the recent Daily Bits on the website. President Clinton’s trial in the Senate.
2020 General Election
There is a row of counties along Minnesota’s southern border. If the three counties in that row in the southwest corner of the state were part of MN 07, then Collin Peterson’s http://www.petersonforcongress.com/ MN 07 would cover the entire western border of Minnesota – three counties deep or more.
Collin Peterson’s MN 07? He doesn’t own that district. Maybe Donald Trump owns it. Trump carried it by 30 points. Or GW Bush. Bush carried the district by 14 against Al Gore, by 12 against John Kerry. Obama did better. He lost by 3, then by 10.
Collin Peterson used to own it. Not so much any more.
2018 Collin Peterson by 4
2016 Collin Peterson by 5
2014 Collin Peterson by 9
2012 Collin Peterson by 26
2010 Collin Peterson by 15
2008 Collin Peterson by 45
2006 Collin Peterson by 41
2004 Collin Peterson by 32
2002 Collin Peterson by 31
2000 Collin Peterson by 39’
1990 Collin Peterson flipped Rep seat by 5
Collin Peterson in 75 years old. His hold on this rural district has been declining. MN 07 is really a Republican district. Collin Peterson may be the only Democrat who can win MN 07. He is thinking about whether to run in 2020. He’ll decide next year.
This is a test. How badly do you want to elect Democrats? If you are a progressive Democrat, there are primaries to consider. Support Marie Newman opposing social conservative Incumbent Daniel Lipinski in Illinois’s third congressional district mostly in inner suburbs of Chicago or Jessica Cisneros opposing conservative Henry Cuellar in Texas’s twenty-eighth congressional district in far south Texas. Win or lose the primary, a Democrat will be elected from those districts.
Collin Peterson may be more conservative than Dan Lipinski or Henry Cuellar. He may be more conservative than Jeff Van Drew, the other Democrat who voted against impeachment. Van Drew voted than became a Republican. Collin Perterson does not have a primary opponent. Colin Peterson might not win the general election. His most recent four point victory could turn into a loss.
Here is the test. In the struggle to keep the House of Representatives Democratic, can you support Collin Peterson? Let’s start with the personal. He’s divorced. He used to date fellow Member of Congress Republican Katherine Harris of Florida. You may remember her as the Republican Florida Secretary of State who oversaw Al Gore’s presidential campaign “loss” to GW Bush.
The political is more important. In the House of Representatives, Collin Peterson was
- One of a very few Democrats endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee
- One of a very few Democrats to receive an “A” rating from the NRA
- One of a very few Democrats to express opposition to legislation intended to prevent climate change
- One of two Democrats to oppose the impeachment investigation of Donald Trump.
- One of five Democrats to vote to support continuing to sell arms to the Yemenis
- One of a very few Democrats to vote against the Affordable Care Act and the only Democrat to vote for its repeal.
Has he done anything that would gain support of other Democrats other than voting for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker? With trade union oriented Democrats, he has opposed free trade legislation. He opposed NAFTA, for instance. He was one of a very few Member of Congress to oppose the Patriot Act. He has been a supporter of legal immigrants, seeking to extend the time that workers could stay in the US, for instance. His most important progressive vote? The vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker.
Collin Peterson http://www.petersonforcongress.com/ is an odd fit for the group of young first-term members of Congress. He is as vulnerable as they are and belongs on every list of vulnerable Democratic Members of Congress. Would you urge Collin Peterson to run again? Would you give him a little financial support? Thank about it.
Vulnerable Democratic Members of Congress. Play defense. Choose a few to support. Check them out. Read my Notes about them in https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Elected by fewer than 1,000 votes
California 21 TJ Cox
Utah 04 Ben McAdams
Elected by 5,000 votes or fewer
Florida 26 Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
Georgia 06 Lucy McBath
Maine 02 Jared Golden
New Mexico 03 Xochitl Torres Small
New Jersey 03 Andy Kim
New York 22 Anthony Brindisi
Oklahoma 05 Kendra Horn
South Carolina 01 Joe Cunningham
Elected by fewer than 10,000 votes
California 10 Josh Harder
California 39 Gil Cisneros
Iowa 03 Cynthia Axne
Virginia 07 Abigail Spanberger
Elected by 15,000 votes or fewer
Illinois 14 Lauren Underwood
Michigan 08 Elissa Slotkin
Minnesota 07 Collin Peterson
New York 11 Max Rose
New York 19 Anthony Delgado
Texas 07 Lizzie Fletcher
Other close races
Illinois 08 Sean Casten
New Jersey 02 Jeff Van Drew
Washington 08 Kim Schreier
