A top Minnesota analyst predicts a tough battle for U-S House in the 7th District in western Minnesota, as former Lieutenant Governor and state Senator Michelle Fischbach challenges long-time Democratic incumbent Collin Peterson. Carleton College Professor Steven Schier argues Peterson faces a more formidable challenge than in recent elections. “This is different,” he says. “This is a quality candidate who has statewide name recognition and a lot of support within the Republican Party and also — crucially — support from the Trump presidential campaign.”
But Schier says Peterson is also a formidable candidate: Not only does he chair the U-S House Agriculture Committtee, but also comes from the most politically-conservative district in the U-S House that’s held by a Democrat. Peterson’s margins of victory, however, have eroded in the last three elections.